Who’s Read what of Iron Maiden’s literary source material?

[srfc]

I've read neither Heart of Darkness nor seen Apocalypse Now, but I believe a lot of the lyrics are just lines from the movie, is that correct?

 

[GhostofCain]

I've read neither Heart of Darkness nor seen Apocalypse Now, but I believe a lot of the lyrics are just lines from the movie, is that correct?

That is correct. Great film, by the way.

 

[yeahitsmilo]

Out of interest what song was inspired by the Odyssey? I read it at school and it's actually pretty enjoyable.

 

[Frenetic Heretic]

I've read neither Heart of Darkness nor seen Apocalypse Now, but I believe a lot of the lyrics are just lines from the movie, is that correct?

Half of the song‘s lyrics quote the movie, but the refrain regarding “The Heart of Darkness” refers to the movie’s novel source material, as I don’t think the phrase “heart of darkness” is ever said in the movie.

 

[Frenetic Heretic]

Out of interest what song was inspired by the Odyssey? I read it at school and it's actually pretty enjoyable.

Cornfed has it as Ghost of the Navigator, which I think is fair because the song refers to sirens calling ships to rocks.

 

[Lamia020281]

I studied Literature but I've only read two of the works above. Kind of embarrassing really. (Actually I read Brave New World in high school, in Finnish. Our teacher had decided the whole class should read it. Rime I read as a part of my University studies, at least that one was in English.)

And unlike many of the posters here, I enjoy a book better if I analyse it. To death even. But because analyzing takes extra effort, I hardly ever do it anymore, which is a shame.

 

[Diesel 11]

And unlike many of the posters here, I enjoy a book better if I analyse it. To death even. But because analyzing takes extra effort, I hardly ever do it anymore, which is a shame.

I do a mini-analysis when I’m actually reading it. Either I’ll be like, “Dang, this is really well assembled,” etc, or, “Dang, this is really poorly written,” etc.

 

[Lamia020281]

I do a mini-analysis when I’m actually reading it. Either I’ll be like, “Dang, this is really well assembled,” etc, or, “Dang, this is really poorly written,” etc.

Good idea! At least some analysis! Sometimes I do pay attention to the themes or something like that while I'm reading. But I do miss the really extensive analysis on the essays I wrote in University.

 

[Black Abyss Babe]

The books/stories:
"The Phantom of the Opera", "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", "Seventh Son", "When the Wind Blows", "Dracula", "Odyssey". All but the last two I read specifically because of their connection with Maiden (having not heard of them previously).

NB the reference to the Odyssey, though obvious, is actually inaccurate: Odysseus was tied to the mast and not the helm as given in the song - as he was trying to avoid the ship being lured towards the sirens the helm would have been the worst thing to tie him to! (Nightwish also got this point wrong in "The Siren".) The rest of the crew had their ears plugged with wax so they would not hear the singing, and thus were free to steer the ship safely (plus they couldn't hear Odysseus whining to be untied - I wonder if they left the wax in a bit longer than they needed to??)

The Captain of the Varna ship in "Dracula", however, having worked out that Dracula was picking his crew off two-at-a-time, did tie his hands to the wheel so that whatever happened he would still be able to bring the ship into port.

The poems:
"The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Tam O'Shanter", "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". My Dad liked to read to us from Palgrave's Golden Treasury on summer evenings when we were little. "Tam O'Shanter" I first encountered at school but in music lessons not English lit, because Malcolm Arnold (a name you may associate with Deep Purple's Concerto for Group and Orchestra) wrote a musical interpretation of it which was one of our course works. The tea clipper "Cutty Sark" is also named from this poem.

 

[Black Wizard]

NB the reference to the Odyssey, though obvious, is actually inaccurate: Odysseus was tied to the mast and not the helm as given in the song - as he was trying to avoid the ship being lured towards the sirens the helm would have been the worst thing to tie him to! (Nightwish also got this point wrong in "The Siren".) The rest of the crew had their ears plugged with wax so they would not hear the singing, and thus were free to steer the ship safely (plus they couldn't hear Odysseus whining to be untied - I wonder if they left the wax in a bit longer than they needed to??)

There is artistic license though, and I think the events of The Odyssey probably didn't happen so it doesn't really matter if it's inaccurate.

 

[Diesel 11]

Added Heart Of Darkness and Dracula to my vote.

Dracula was great. Loved the writing style, loved the story itself.

Wouldn’t Frankenstein technically count because of “New Frontier”?

 

[Mosh]

Dracula, not sure how it relates to Maiden other than Out of the Shadows, is one of my all time favorites. It holds up surprisingly well, and it’s funny to think about how much of a pop culture icon its become when the story is so much of its time. It’s also delightfully creepy in places.

 

[Diesel 11]

Dracula, not sure how it relates to Maiden other than Out of the Shadows

Transylvania?

 

[Cornfed Hick]

Transylvania?

Indeed.

 

[GhostofCain]

Added Heart Of Darkness and Dracula to my vote.

Dracula was great. Loved the writing style, loved the story itself.

Wouldn’t Frankenstein technically count because of “New Frontier”?

I think we are now definitely going beyond the concept of Maiden songs inspired by certain books. Some of the recent suggestions have never been mentioned by Maiden members as a source of inspiration for their songs.

 

[harrisdevot]

I've only read Dracula and The Name of the Rose, two masterpieces in my opinion. Your poll reminds me I should read some of the other books, and not just watch the films based upon them.

 

[Midnight]

Odysseus was tied to the mast and not the helm

So does that mean Symphony X got it right?

 

[Diesel 11]

Nightwish also got this point wrong in "The Siren".

Nightwish weren’t referencing Odysseus though, even though that’s what one first thinks of. “Who tied my hands to the wheel?” really refers to how the song of the sirens captivates its listener, setting them on a course to their destruction — and tying their hands to the wheel. It’s a very clever subversion of expectations.

 

[Murder of Rue Morgue]

There is artistic license though, and I think the events of The Odyssey probably didn't happen so it doesn't really matter if it's inaccurate.

As we are assuming that Ghost of the Navigator is inspired (even loosely) by Odyssey 12, it matters due to the fact itself that the Odyssey exists.
And I can guarantee that there is no doubt about what Odysseus was tied to.

 

[The_7th_one]

According what Bruce said in Classic Rock magazine he wrote Ghost of the Navigator inspired in vikings , pioneers, ghosts and all that stuff.