Pellucidar
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Pellucidar is the
fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
internal surface of a
Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...
invented by American writer
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...
for a series of action adventure stories. In a crossover event,
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...
, who was also created by Burroughs, visits Pellucidar. The stories initially involve the adventures of mining heir David Innes and his inventor friend Abner Perry after they use an "iron mole" to burrow 500 miles into the Earth's crust. Later protagonists include indigenous
caveman The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as " simian" or " ape-like" by Marcellin B ...
Tanar and additional visitors from the surface world, notably Tarzan, Jason Gridley, and Frederich Wilhelm Eric von Mendeldorf und von Horst.''Pulpdom'', Nos. 64, 65, 66, 67, April, June, August, October, "Pellucidar Revisited" by Mike Taylor, published by Camille Cazedessus,


Geography

In Burroughs' concept, the Earth is a hollow shell with Pellucidar as the internal surface of its shell. Pellucidar is accessible to the surface world via a polar tunnel, allowing passage between both the inner and outer worldsBurroughs, Edgar Rice (1930). ''Tanar of Pellucidar''. New York: Metropolitan. through which a rigid
airship An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat (lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying powered aircraft, under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the ...
visits in the fourth book of the series.Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1930). ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core''. New York: Metropolitan. Although the inner surface of the Earth has a smaller total area than the outer, Pellucidar actually has a greater land area, as its continents mirror the surface world's oceans and its oceans mirror the surface world's continents. The peculiarities of Pellucidar's
geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
are caused by the concave curvature of its surface. There is no horizon; the further distant an object is, the higher it appears to be, until it is finally lost in a void of atmospheric haze. Pellucidar is lit by a miniature
sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
suspended at the center of the hollow sphere, so it is perpetually overhead and gives a sensation of eternal noon wherever one is in Pellucidar. The sole exception is a region directly under a tiny geostationary
moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
of the internal sun. As a result, this region is under a perpetual
eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event which occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ...
and is known as the "Land of Awful Shadow". The moon has its own plant life and (presumably)
animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...
life, and either has its own
atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
or is simply suspended within Pellucidar's. The miniature sun does not change in brightness and never sets. As a result, with no night or seasonal progression, the natives have little concept of time. The events of the series suggest that time is elastic, passing at different rates in different areas of Pellucidar and varying even in single locations. Also, several characters living in Pellucidar who are originally from the outer world appear to age slowly and exhibit considerable longevity. This is known through their interactions with visitors from the outer world, where time passes at a fixed rate.


Culture

Pellucidar is populated by primitive civilizations and
prehistoric Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins  million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
creatures, including
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
s. The region in which Innes and Perry initially find themselves is ruled by the Mahars, a species of intelligent
pterosaur Pterosaurs are an extinct clade of flying reptiles in the order Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 million to 66 million years ago). Pterosaurs are the earli ...
s resembling ''
Rhamphorhynchus ''Rhamphorhynchus'' (, from Ancient Greek ''rhamphos'' meaning "beak" and ''rhynchus'' meaning "snout") is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such ...
'' with vast
psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use powers rooted in parapsychology, such as extrasensory perception (ESP), to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance; or who performs acts that a ...
powers. The Mahars use
telekinesis Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
on the neighboring tribes of
Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...
humans as a way of securing their territory.Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1922). ''At the Earth's Core''. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., ''passim''. Eventually, two explorers united the tribes in overthrowing the Mahars' reign and establish a human "Empire of Pellucidar" instead.Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1923). ''Pellucidar''. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., ''passim''. While the Mahars are the dominant species in the Pellucidar novels, these creatures are usually confined to their handful of cities. Before their downfall, the Mahars used Sagoths (a race of
gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...
-men who speak the same language as Tarzan's
Mangani ''Mangani'' is the name of a fictional species of great apes in the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and of the invented language used by these apes. In the invented language, ''Mangani'' (meaning "great-ape") is the apes' word for their ow ...
) in enforcing their rule over any tribes who disobeyed their orders. Though Burroughs' novels suggest that the Mahars' domain is limited to one relatively small region of Pellucidar, John Eric Holmes' authorized sequel '' Mahars of Pellucidar'' indicates there are other areas ruled by Mahars. Beyond the Mahars' domain exist independent human cultures, many of them at a Stone Age level of development. Technically, more advanced exceptions include the Korsars (corsairs), a maritime raiding society descended from surface-world
Barbary pirates The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...
, and the Xexots, an indigenous
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
civilization.Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1963). ''Savage Pellucidar''. New York: Canaveral Press. All of the human inhabitants in Pellucidar share a common worldwide language.


Wildlife

Various animals reside in Pellucidar. Many of Pellucidar's fauna consist of prehistoric creatures, which are extinct on the surface world. However, some animals are creations of Edgar Rice Burroughs himself. They are listed below by outer world name (if known), Pellucidarian name (if known), and the novel in which they first appear, along with any relevant comments. * Ant Bear — An elephant-sized orycteropodid (which the
Aardvark Aardvarks ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') are medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammals native to Africa. Aardvarks are the only living species of the family Orycteropodidae and the order Tubulidentata. They have a long proboscis, similar to a pi ...
is a part of) which preys on the Giant Ants. It has no outer world equivalent and its Pellucidarian name is unknown. *
Antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...
s — Pellucidarian name unknown. One antelope species resembles a
common eland The common eland (''Taurotragus oryx''), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a large savannah and plains antelope found in East Africa, East and Southern Africa. An adult male is around tall at the shoulder and can weigh up ...
with spiral horns curved to the back of their ears. It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Apatosaurus ''Apatosaurus'' (; meaning "deceptive lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period. Othniel Charles Marsh described and named the first-known species, ''A. ajax'', in 1877, a ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Archaeopteryx ''Archaeopteryx'' (; ), sometimes referred to by its German name, "" ( ''Primeval Bird'') is a genus of bird-like dinosaurs. The name derives from the ancient Greek (''archaîos''), meaning "ancient", and (''ptéryx''), meaning "feather" ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. It first appeared in ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core''. *
Archelon ''Archelon'' is an extinct marine turtle from the Late Cretaceous, and is the largest turtle ever to have been documented, with the biggest specimen measuring from head to tail and in body mass. It is known only from the Pierre Shale and ...
(''Tola'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Aurochs The aurochs (''Bos primigenius''; or ; pl.: aurochs or aurochsen) is an extinct species of Bovini, bovine, considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. With a shoulder height of up to in bulls and in cows, it was one of t ...
(''Thag'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. * Aztarag — A sea creature which is nicknamed the "Tiger of the Sea". The Pellucidarian name for an unidentified outer world equivalent. *
Cave bear The cave bear (''Ursus spelaeus'') is a prehistoric species of bear that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum. Both the word ''cave'' and the scientific name '' ...
(''Ryth'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. * Cave hyena — Pellucidarian name unknown. It first appeared in ''Pellucidar''. * Cave lion (''Ta-ho'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Deinotherium ''Deinotherium'' (from Ancient Greek , ''()'', meaning "terrible", and ''()'', meaning "beast"), is an extinct genus of large, elephant-like proboscideans that lived from the middle-Miocene until the end of the Early Pleistocene. Although its ap ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. It first appeared in ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core''. *
Dimetrodon ''Dimetrodon'' ( or ; ) is an extinct genus of sphenacodontid synapsid that lived during the Cisuralian (Early Permian) Epoch (geology), epoch of the Permian period, around 295–272 million years ago. With most species measuring long and ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Dimorphodon ''Dimorphodon'' ( ) is a genus of medium-sized pterosaur from Europe during the early Jurassic Period (about 201-191 million years ago).Müller R.T., Ezcurra M.D., Garcia M.S., Agnolín F.L., Stocker M.R., Novas F.E., Soares M.B., Kellner A.W.A. ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. * Diplodocus (''Lidi'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Dire wolf The dire wolf (''Aenocyon dirus'' ) is an Extinction, extinct species of Caninae, canine which was native to the Americas during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs (125,000–10,000 years ago). The species was named in 1858, four y ...
(''Codon'') * Giant
Ant Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...
s — No outer world equivalent. Pellucidarian name unknown. They are six feet long and are preyed upon by the Ant Bears. *
Goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...
s — They are domesticated by the Ape-Men. They first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Gomphotherium ''Gomphotherium'' (; "nail beast" for its double set of straight tusks) is an extinct genus of gomphothere proboscidean from the Neogene of Eurasia, Africa and North America. It is the most diverse genus of gompothere, with over a dozen valid sp ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Hyaenodon ''Hyaenodon'' ("hyena-tooth") is an Extinction (biology), extinct genus of Carnivore, carnivorous Placentalia, placental mammals from extinct tribe Hyaenodontini within extinct subfamily Hyaenodontinae (in extinct Family (biology), family Hyaenod ...
(''Jalok'') — A dog-like carnivore which is not related to either
hyena Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the sma ...
s or
wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
. They have been referred to as
Wolfdog A wolfdog is a canine produced by the mating of a domestic dog (''Canis familiaris'') with a gray wolf (''Canis lupus''), eastern wolf (''Canis lycaon''), red wolf (''Canis rufus''), or Ethiopian wolf (''Canis simensis'') to produce a ...
s and can be domesticated by the Ape-Men. In Pellucidar David domesticates two of them. It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. * Hydrophidian — A giant
sea snake Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are Elapidae, elapid snakes that inhabit Marine (ocean), marine environments for most or all of their lives. They belong to two subfamilies, Hydrophiinae and Sea krait, Laticaudinae. Hydrophiinae also includes ...
that is designated by Burroughs. Neither the actual outer world or Pellucidarian equivalent are known. It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Hyracotherium ''Hyracotherium'' ( ; "hyrax-like beast") is an extinction, extinct genus of small (about 60 cm in length) perissodactyl ungulates that was found in the London Clay formation. This small, fox-sized animal is (for some scientists) considered t ...
(''Orthopi'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. * Ichthyosaurus (''Azdyryth'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Iguanodon ''Iguanodon'' ( ; meaning 'iguana-tooth'), named in 1825, is a genus of iguanodontian dinosaur. While many species found worldwide have been classified in the genus ''Iguanodon'', dating from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, Taxonomy (bi ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Labyrinthodont "Labyrinthodontia" (Greek, 'maze-toothed') is an informal grouping of extinct predatory amphibians which were major components of ecosystems in the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras (about 390 to 150 million years ago). Traditionally conside ...
(''Sithic'') — A giant carnivorous amphibian. It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Mastodon A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...
(''Maj'') — It first appeared in ''Tanar of Pellucidar''. * Megacerops (identified by its synonym ''Brontotherium'') — Pellucidarian name unknown. * Megaloceros — Pellucidarian name unknown. It first appeared in ''Pellucidar''. *
Megatherium ''Megatherium'' ( ; from Greek () 'great' + () 'beast') is an extinct genus of ground sloths endemic to South America that lived from the Early Pliocene through the end of the Late Pleistocene. It is best known for the elephant-sized type spe ...
(''Dyryth'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Pareiasaurus ''Pareiasaurus'' (from , "cheek" and , "lizard") is an extinct genus of Pareiasauromorpha, pareiasauromorph reptile from the Permian period. It was a typical member of its family (biology), family, the pareiasaurids, which take their name from th ...
(''Gorobor'') — Giant
lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...
-like reptiles which serve as the Horibs' mode of transportation, as they are the fastest creatures in Pellucidar. They first appeared in ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core''. * Phorusrhacos (''Dyal'') — It first appeared in ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core''. *
Plesiosaurus ''Plesiosaurus'' (Greek: ' ('), near to + ' ('), lizard) is a genus of extinct, large marine sauropterygian reptile that lived during the Early Jurassic. It is known by nearly complete skeletons from the Lias of England. It is distinguishable by ...
(''Tandoraz'', ''Ta-ho-az'') — The two Pellucidarian names refer to large and small varieties. It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Polacanthus ''Polacanthus'', deriving its name from the Ancient Greek polys-/πολύς- "many" and akantha/ἄκανθα "thorn" or "prickle", is an early armoured, spiked, plant-eating ankylosaurian dinosaur from the early Cretaceous period of England. In ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Pteranodon ''Pteranodon'' (; from and ) is a genus of pterosaur that included some of the largest known flying reptiles, with ''P. longiceps'' having a wingspan of over . They lived during the late Cretaceous geological period of North America in presen ...
(''Thipdar'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. They are sometimes used as the pets and guard animals of the Mahars. *
Pterodactylus ''Pterodactylus'' (from ) is a genus of extinct pterosaurs. It is thought to contain only a single species, ''Pterodactylus antiquus'', which was the first pterosaur to be named and identified as a flying reptile and one of the first prehis ...
(''Thipdar'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Rhamphorhynchus ''Rhamphorhynchus'' (, from Ancient Greek ''rhamphos'' meaning "beak" and ''rhynchus'' meaning "snout") is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such ...
(''Mahar'') — An oversized species of intelligent
pterosaur Pterosaurs are an extinct clade of flying reptiles in the order Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 million to 66 million years ago). Pterosaurs are the earli ...
s. It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...
s — The sharks of Pellucidar are larger than normal sharks. It was never mentioned if these sharks are either ''
Megalodon ''Otodus megalodon'' ( ; meaning "big tooth"), Common name, commonly known as megalodon, is an extinction, extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Earl ...
'', ''Carcharodon hubbeli'', or any other related prehistoric sharks. *
Smilodon ''Smilodon'' is an extinct genus of Felidae, felids. It is one of the best known saber-toothed predators and prehistoric mammals. Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely related to the tiger or other modern cats ...
(''Tarag'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
s — Venomous vipers which the characters use to make poisoned arrows. They first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Stegosaurus ''Stegosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of herbivorous, four-legged, armored dinosaur from the Late Jurassic, characterized by the distinctive kite-shaped upright plates along their backs and spikes on their tails. Fossils of the genus have been fo ...
(''Dyrodor'') — A carnivorous variety that able to manipulate its back plates to allow it to glide (unlike a real ''Stegosaurus''). * Styracosaurus — Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a Suidae, pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk (proboscis). Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, South and Centr ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. * Trachodon — Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Triceratops ''Triceratops'' ( ; ) is a genus of Chasmosaurinae, chasmosaurine Ceratopsia, ceratopsian dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous Period (geology), period, about 68 to 66 million years ago on the island ...
(''Gyor'') — An ill-tempered dinosaur. They are often hunted by Horibs. * Trodon — Pellucidarian name for a creature with no outer world equivalent. The Trodon are
dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
-like flying reptiles with pouches similar to those of kangaroos. Not to be confused with the ''
Troodon ''Troodon'' ( ; ''Troödon'' in older sources) is a controversial genus of relatively small, bird-like theropod dinosaurs definitively known from the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period (about 77 million years ago). It includes at l ...
'', an actual dinosaur. It first appeared in ''Back to the Stone Age'' where it carried Von Horst to its nest in the crater of a dead volcano. *
Troodon ''Troodon'' ( ; ''Troödon'' in older sources) is a controversial genus of relatively small, bird-like theropod dinosaurs definitively known from the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period (about 77 million years ago). It includes at l ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Tylosaurus ''Tylosaurus'' (; "knob lizard") is a genus of Russellosaurina, russellosaurine mosasaur (an extinct group of predatory marine Squamata, lizards) that lived about 92 to 66 million years ago during the Turonian to Maastrichtian stages of the Late ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Tyrannosaurus ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived througho ...
(''Zarith'') — The Tyrannosaurus are one of the dominant predators in Pellucidar. Von Horst and La-Ja encountered a juvenile specimen the Forest of Death, and was about to devour a Gorbus, a member of a weird, cruel, albino race. Von Horst was able to kill the beast. La-Ja informs him that adult zarith feed on the giant Bos, the aurochs, and on the mighty mammoth. *
Whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully Aquatic animal, aquatic placental mammal, placental marine mammals. As an informal and Colloquialism, colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea ...
s (referred to as "Herbivorous Cetaceans" by Perry) — The whales of Pellucidar weigh around four to five pounds, are vegetarian and brightly colored, and reside in bodies of fresh water instead of salt water, as whales do in the outer world. They first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. *
Velociraptor ''Velociraptor'' (; ) is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in th ...
— Pellucidarian name unknown. *
Woolly mammoth The woolly mammoth (''Mammuthus primigenius'') is an extinct species of mammoth that lived from the Middle Pleistocene until its extinction in the Holocene epoch. It was one of the last in a line of mammoth species, beginning with the African ...
(''Tandor'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''. Some woolly mammoths are used as mounts by a tribe of natives called the Mammoth Men.Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1937). ''Back to the Stone Age''. Tarzana, CA: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. *
Woolly rhinoceros The woolly rhinoceros (''Coelodonta antiquitatis'') is an extinct species of rhinoceros that inhabited northern Eurasia during the Pleistocene epoch. The woolly rhinoceros was a member of the Pleistocene megafauna. The woolly rhinoceros was larg ...
(''Sadok'') — It first appeared in ''At the Earth's Core''.


Races and tribes

Pellucidar is also inhabited by enclaves of various non-human or semi-human races one of whom are the stone age humans of the inner world. Among the known races and tribes in Pellucidar are: * Ape-Men — A race of black-skinned creatures with prehensile tails, receding foreheads, long arms, and short legs who are
arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...
in nature. They are known for domesticating goats and Hyaenodons. * Azarians — A race of 7 ft. primitive man-eating
giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...
s with ugly faces and yellow tusk-like teeth.Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1944). ''Land of Terror''. Tarzana, CA: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. * Beast-Men — ''Also called Brute-Men, see below.'' * Bison Men — ''Also known as Ganaks, see below.'' * Brute-Men — A peaceful 7 ft. race of
ape Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a superfamily of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and Europe in prehistory, and counting humans are found global ...
-like farmers. They are also called Beast-Men, and sometimes called "Gorilla-Sheep" for the sheep-like appearance of their faces which go with the bull-like neck and fangs of a gorilla. * Coripies — A subterranean race of 5 ft. eyeless
carrion Carrion (), also known as a carcass, is the decaying flesh of dead animals. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures ...
-eaters. They are also known as the Buried People. * Ganaks — A race of squat stocky humanoids with long brown hair, long horns, and tails with brushy tufts at the end; they are also called the
Bison A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American ...
Men. Despite being herbivorous, the Ganaks sometimes capture humans and sacrifice them in a morbid ritual. * Gilaks — A tribe of Pellucidarian humans with enhanced homing instincts that is on the level of the
Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...
. They are sometimes slaves to the Mahars and their servants the Sagoths. * Gorbuses — A subterranean race of cannibalistic albinos with long white tusks, who are apparently resurrected surface-world serial killers that are confined here as their punishment. * Horibs — A race of ferocious Cotylosaurus-riding reptile men with snake-like heads, lizard-like bodies, pointed ears, and two sharp horns. The Horibs are known to hunt humans and Gyor (Triceratops). * Jukans — An eccentric race of creatures who have short-cropped hairs and flabby mouths. * Korsars — A tribe of humans who are the descendants of
Barbary pirates The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...
. Their ancestors discovered Pellucidar and have been unable to travel back to the surface. They live in the kingdom of Korsar, which is across the Sea of Korsar. * Mahars — The master race in Pellucidar who resemble humanoid ''
Rhamphorhynchus ''Rhamphorhynchus'' (, from Ancient Greek ''rhamphos'' meaning "beak" and ''rhynchus'' meaning "snout") is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such ...
''. They enslave the Stone Age Humans of Pellucidar with the help of their servants, the Sagoths. They are also deaf, but have developed a form of “musical” entertainment based on motion. Their guard animals are Pteranodons. * Mammoth Men — A tribe of cave-dwelling natives who use woolly mammoths as their mounts. They reside in the Ja-Ru region of Pellucidar. * Manats — A tribe who live on one side of the Island of Tandar and often fight with the Tandar. * Mezops — A race of seafaring islanders, fishermen, and hunters who are similar to the Native Americans. * Sabertooth Men — A race of cannibalistic black-skinned man-eating creatures with prehensile tails and dagger-like tusks. The Sabertooth Men live in a volcanic crater near Kali and have a monkey-like language. * Sagoths — The brown-furred
gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...
-like servants of the Mahars who are lighter in build than a gorilla. Their language is similar to the
Mangani ''Mangani'' is the name of a fictional species of great apes in the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and of the invented language used by these apes. In the invented language, ''Mangani'' (meaning "great-ape") is the apes' word for their ow ...
. * Tandar — A tribe who live on the Island of Tandar and often fight with the Manats. * Xexots — A tribe of yellow-skinned humans whose culture is based on the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
. The Xexots reside in walled cities. The male and female Xexots wear nothing on their torsos. The children and other younger Xexots never wear clothes. Also, the priests are distinguished by their hideous masks and long leather robes.


Novels

# '' At the Earth's Core'' (1914) # '' Pellucidar'' (1915) # '' Tanar of Pellucidar'' (1929) # '' Tarzan at the Earth's Core'' (1929-1930) # '' Back to the Stone Age'' (1937) # '' Land of Terror'' (1944) # '' Savage Pellucidar'' (1963)


Sequels by John Eric Holmes

John Eric Holmes's ''Mahars of Pellucidar'' was a sequel to Burroughs' Pellucidar novels authorized by the Burroughs estate. Publication of Holmes' follow-up novel, ''Red Axe of Pellucidar'', reportedly ready for print in 1980, was reportedly blocked by the estate, and only saw print much later in a limited private edition.Martin, Joh
"John Eric Holmes: Mahars of Pellucidar and Red Axe of Pellucidar"
# '' Mahars of Pellucidar'' (1976) # ''Red Axe of Pellucidar'' (1993)


In other media

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
published a comic book adaptation of ''At the Earth's Core'' that ran in ''Korak, Son of Tarzan'' #46, then moved to '' Weird Worlds'' #1–5, then continued with an adaptation of ''Pellucidar'' in #6–7. Another Pellucidar story appeared in ''Tarzan Family'' #66. Dark Horse Comics reprinted this in trade paperback in 2017. Pellucidar has appeared in one movie adaptation. The first novel was filmed as '' At the Earth's Core'' (1976), directed by Kevin Connor with
Doug McClure Douglas Osborne McClure (May 11, 1935 – February 5, 1995) was an American actor whose career in film and television extended from the 1950s to the 1990s. He is best known for his role as the cowboy Trampas during the entire run from 1962 to 1 ...
as David Innes and
Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage and radio roles. He achieved recognition f ...
as Abner Perry. Pellucidar appears in the '' Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' episode "Tarzan at the Earth's Core". The 1996 pilot of the TV series '' Tarzan: The Epic Adventures'' also features Pellucidar, as well as the character Jana from the novel ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core''. This story also features a race of Mahars who are able to transform into humanoid form. Also, in the 1996 novelization of ''Tarzan: The Epic Adventures'' by R. A. Salvatore, based on the teleplay for the pilot of the series, Pellucidar is featured in the later part of the story. The story is inspired by ''The Return of Tarzan'' and ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core''. Pellucidar appears in a few episodes of the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
cartoon series '' The Legend of Tarzan'', loosely inspired by ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core''. In the show, however, Pellucidar is merely described as being a region below Africa where dinosaurs still live. None of the characteristics of it described in the novels are seen and the Mahars, Sagoths, Horibs, prehistoric mammals, stone age humans, and characters are not seen in this version of the inner world. In the episode "Tarzan and the Hidden World", Tarzan leads Professor Porter into Pellucidar so he can become famous before his rival, Professor Philander, who has also arrived in Africa. Professor Porter accidentally steals an egg from a T-rex and the dinosaur retaliates by chasing them. Philander's photographic proof of Pellucidar is ruined by a monkey who took photos with his camera. Pellucidar is mentioned again in "Tarzan and the Beast from Below". The episode revolves around some
Velociraptor ''Velociraptor'' (; ) is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in th ...
s which escaped from Pellucidar and scare Terk. Pellucidar is revisited by Tarzan and is the central location of the Dark Horse Comics crossover ''Tarzan vs. Predator: At the Earth's Core'', where Tarzan faces off against the alien
Predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...
s in Pellucidar. Pellucidar appears in the final episode of '' Tarzan and Jane'' along with
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
.


Influence

A tribute story, "Maureen Birnbaum at the Earth's Core", appeared in
George Alec Effinger George Alec Effinger (January 10, 1947 – April 27, 2002) was an American science fiction author, born in Cleveland, Ohio. Writing career Effinger was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 10, 1947. His father was a United States Navy vetera ...
's '' Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson''. Pellucidar was the major inspiration for
Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. Lov ...
's '' Zanthodon'' novels of the late 1970s and early 1980s, set in the vast cavern of Zanthodon beneath the
Sahara The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...
desert. The
Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...
milieu of Skartaris in the ''
Warlord Warlords are individuals who exercise military, Economy, economic, and Politics, political control over a region, often one State collapse, without a strong central or national government, typically through informal control over Militia, local ...
'' series of comic books by
Mike Grell Mike Grell (born September 13, 1947) is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as '' Green Lantern/Green Arrow'', '' The Warlord'', and '' Jon Sable Freelance''. Early life Grell studied at the University of ...
, published from 1976 to 1989, is essentially a translation of Pellucidar into the graphic medium, with the admixture of magic and elements of the
Atlantis Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...
myth.Brian Cronin, 2006
"Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #54!"
(archive)
The hollow interior of Earth seen in the 2008 Asylum film ''
Journey to the Center of the Earth ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel written by French novelist Jules Ve ...
'' bears some similarity to Pellucidar, although the film was intended as a film adaptation of a novel by Jules Verne. The Hollow World of the fictional ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
'' setting of Mystara shares many concepts from Pellucidar, such as the polar openings, the central sun, the floating moons, and the primitive cultures living in the internal surface. In James Blaylock's '' The Digging Leviathan'' (1984), a pair of rival scientific teams compete to reach Pellucidar. However, the story concludes before their goal is attained. Blaylock's ''Zeuglodon'' revisits the Pellucidar theme, when a group of children attempt to rescue Giles Peach, one of the characters traveling to Pellucidar in The Digging Leviathan. In
Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...
's ''
Number of the Beast The number of the beast (, ) is associated with the The Beast (Revelation), Beast of Revelation in chapter 13, verse 18 of the Book of Revelation. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of the Bible, the number of ...
'', the protagonists visit an inside-out world in their continua craft and discuss whether they have reached Pellucidar. In John Crowley's ''
Little, Big ''Little, Big: or, The Fairies' Parliament'' is a contemporary fantasy novel by John Crowley, published in 1981. It won the World Fantasy Award in 1982. Plot Turn-of-the-century American architect John Drinkwater begins to suspect that within ...
'' (1981), a drug named Pellucidar is mentioned and appears to have an exhilarating and even aphrodisiac effect. During the initial explorations of
Lechuguilla Cave At , Lechuguilla Cave is the longest cave, eighth-longest explored cave in the world and the second deepest () in the continental United States. It is most famous for its unusual geology, rare speleothem, formations, and pristine condition. The ...
in the late 1980s, a chamber was named "Pellucidar" in honor of these stories. In
Philip José Farmer Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy novels and short story, short stories. Obituary. Farmer is best known for two sequences of novels, t ...
's " Riders of the Purple Wage", there is a concept known as "the Pellucidar Breakthrough". In Roderick Gordon's ''Tunnels'' series, the Garden of the Second Sun is strongly based on Pellucidar. The
Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...
concept was used by Vladimir Obruchev in his novel '' Plutonia'', published in 1924, also inhabited by ancient life forms. Due to his scientific and geology career, Obruchev was not a fan of the Hollow Earth concept. However, Obruchev did use his novel to describe Pleistocene, Jurassic, and Carboniferous fauna.


See also

* '' At the Earth's Core'' (1976 movie) * '' Tarzan: The Epic Adventures'' (1996/1997 TV series) * Caprona *
Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...
*
Subterranean fiction Subterranean fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction, which focuses on fictional underground settings, sometimes at the Inner core, center of the Earth or otherwise deep below the surface. The genre is based on, and has in turn influenced, ...


References


External links

* * *
Official site
from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., Tarzana, California

— Articles, book summaries, publishing histories, pastiches, glossary, languages, maps, hollow Earth theory, and film and TV reviews by Pellucidar scholar David Critchfield.

in ''ERBzine'' 3042

at Angelfire
Pellucidar
at Comic Vine * {{Subterranea Book series introduced in 1914 Fictional elements introduced in 1914 Edgar Rice Burroughs locations