Tintin Forums

Hergé added elements of the 'occult' (I use this term loosely), or magic etc. into his books in many places:
- The fakir in Valley of the Cobras
- Calculus's pendulum
- The Inca magic in The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of Sun
- The clairvoyant and fakir in The Seven Crystal Balls
- The hovering Tibetan monk and the Yeti in Tintin in Tibet
- A U.F.O in Flight 714
- The giant meteorite and the mushrooms and spider in The Shooting Star

Was Hergé interested in the uknown ?

Hergé seemed to be intersted in the supernatural, and I think you have left some things out:
- the Gypsy fortune teller in The Castifore Emerald gives quite an accurate account as to will befall Captain Haddock. Perhaps disturbingly she also asks him to cross her palm with silver or the jewels will disappear.
- Tintin has that dream of Chang in Tintin in Tibet, and from then on is convinced that Chang is alive.
- The Red Sea Sharks begins with Tintin and Captain Haddock recalling General Alcazar, with reference to a film they have just seen which involves a coincidence Haddock dismisses as unbelievable. At this point they then bump into Alcazar himself, in exactly the manner Haddock had just dismissed, possibly indicating déja vu.

Moderator Note: "Déja vu" is a known and studied condition of perception; perhaps you meant "premonition"?

We don't know for sure. He was from a strict Catholic background, but later broke away from that.
Definetly around and before the time of Tintin in Tibet he was intently interested in Eastern mysticism. But I think earlier in his life it was just a matter of injecting some supernatural element to thrill - along the line's of a novel about a Pharaoh's curse or something similar.
I don't think its wise to mess with the occult because you can have dangerous experiences and it's contrary to what God wants for us.

Quite a few people would believe God (the Christian one) doesn't want us to read comics either :-)

I was just thinking recently that one of the things I like about Tintin, and gives it something extra, is the magical/occult/unexplained elements. It's not like Scooby-Doo where it turns out to be someone in a mask, but often remains unexplained, and therefore possible. I like a little magic to interact with the mundane!

I don't believe God would have anything agains us reading comics in general. But some of them do contain 'inappropriate' material. Anyway, those are Christian fundamentalists, not all of us are like that.

Yes, the Tintin comics do have an air of supernatural mystery. One such place is in that hut in the jungle (Cigars of the Pharaoh) with the dagger going missing.
It's all very eriee, and while its explained away with Professor Sarcophagus stealing it, the part before where the dagger fall towards Tintin is one of the most memorably scary parts in the whole series!

I can see from your intelligent and thoughtful posts that you're not like that, Tintinrulz, and I agree - that is the more extreme element. I have friends who practice what you might consider 'occult arts', and they're not extremists either, in fact they see their beliefs as a benign and peaceful way, not dangerous.

One of my favourite 'unexplained' moments in Tintin is the levitating monk. It just happens!

Thanks. I appreciate that Tybaltstone.
I love that part where Captain Haddock can't get the photo in time! A classic! And so realistic.

its contrary to what God wants for us.

I see what you mean, Tintinrulz, but many of the eastern mystics are done in praise of God. The fakirs who lie on nails often do so to show the power of God. Many spiritualists believe that it is God who gives people the ability to speak to those in heaven.