History Literature / Jabberwocky

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: The Vorpal Sword.

* BigBad: The Jabberwock.

* FeatheredFiend: The jubjub bird is mentioned to be a dangerous creature.
* MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext: Unless you've read Carroll's definitions.

* OffWithHisHead: How the Jabberwock dies.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: The Jabberwock resembles a dragon, although the story is vague as to what kind of animal it is.

* WellDoneSonGuy: "And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy!"

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!! Elements of this poem appear in:

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* The Jabberwock is one of many Wonderland residents appearing in ''ComicBooks/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew The Oz-Wonderland War'' miniseries. The BigBad summons it from Wonderland to guard a site in Oz, and (mis)quotes the poem while watching the heroes fight it.

[[AC:FanWorks]]
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1039834/1/Babbletechy Babbletechy]]'' shows the poem can be used to spoof [[TechnoBabble contemporary nonsense as well]].

[[AC:FilmsAnimated]]
* Disney's ''Disney/AliceInWonderland'' has the Cheshire Cat singing the first verse and also features the Tulgey Wood and a cameo by the mome raths.

[[AC:FilmsLiveAction]]
* Tim Burton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'' features the Jabberwock[[note]]although the movie refers to the creature as "Jabberwocky"[[/note]], the Bandersnatch and the Vorpal Sword, and there is a brief appearance of the Jubjub Bird.

[[AC:Literature]]
* In the short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Creator/HenryKuttner and Creator/CLMoore (writing under the joint pseudonym of Lewis Padgett), the poem turns out to have been dictated by Lewis Caroll's young daughter after she received some SufficientlyAdvanced toys from the far future, and is a secretly-coded instruction manual for how to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence.
* Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/KnownSpace'' universe has an alien species called the ''frumious bandersnatch.''
* The children in ''Literature/SwallowsAndAmazons'' seem to be fans of the poem, as they decide "galumphing" is the best way of quickly returning after visiting the charcoal-burners.
* Being heavily influenced by ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'', the ''Manga/PandoraHearts'' manga features Jabberwocky as one of the most powerful chains in the series.
* The seventh book of ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber'' has a scene set in Wonderland (or a world very much like it), and the Jabberwock makes a brief but violent appearance.
* [[Creator/DouglasRHofstadter Douglas R. Hoftstadter's]] ''Literature/MetamagicalThemas'' uses "Jabberwocky" as an example of a text that is difficult to translate, providing an example of several translations of the poem and discussing them in detail.
* ''Presumed Dead'' by Rick Kennett. SuperSoldier Cy De Gerch [[RealDreamsAreWeirder dreams of a lecture]] on the StarfishAliens she's fighting, with the instructor quoting the poem instead. She then [[CrashingDreams wakes to hear]] an alien [[OhCrap advancing in her direction in the darkness]].

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]
* When ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' did an ''Alice in Wonderland'' themed episode, it included a very faithful rendition of the poem, although the actors had no idea what it was about.

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]
* In Charles M. Schulz's ''{{Peanuts}}'', there's a fictional brand of breakfast cereal called Snicker-Snacks.

[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The ''vorpal'' weapon property derives its name from the poem's vorpal sword. In D&D, such a weapon automatically decapitates its target on a critical hit/natural 20.
** A pair of tongue-in-cheek adventure modules that Gary Gygax wrote, based on the Wonderland books, included not only the Jabberwock, but also the bandersnatch (whose name is taken literally: it grabs opponents and ties them up) and jub-jub bird.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', the Jabberwock is among the most powerful statted creatures, more powerful than (almost) any dragon. It's a monstrous [[TheFairFolk fey]] creature whose only purpose is to spread destruction and chaos. Naturally, it has an instinctive aversion to vorpal weapons. The jub-jub bird and the bandersnatch also make appearances here.
* It's also a monster in the ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' bestiary, almost identical to the one in John Tenniel's original illustration for the poem.

[[AC:Toys]]
* In ''Franchise/MonsterInMyPocket'', Jabberwock is Monster #50 in Series 2, described as a dragon with tentacle-like arms, born in 1871 England.

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* The Jabbewock is a kind of monster -- one of the most powerful in the game -- found in the original ''VideoGame/{{Rogue}}''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Nethack}}'', a SpiritualSuccessor to Rogue, also contains a Jabberwock, as well as a Vorpal Sword (which indeed goes "snicker-snack" when attacking).
* The first game in ''VideoGame/TheBardsTaleTrilogy'' contains both a wolf-like bandersnatch and a dragon-like Jabberwock (who guards a SwordOfPlotAdvancement).
* ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice'' features the Jabberwock, now a clockwork cyborg, as a major antagonist.
* At the beginning of each stage in ''VideoGame/{{eXceed}} 3rd - Jade Penetrate'', a DoujinSoft shmup, the poem is faintly visible underneath the text displaying the stage name and number.
* The Japanese version of VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV, of all places, has this. The dragon forms called the Behemoth, Weyr, and Peist in the English version were originally called the Bandersnatch, Jubjub, and Jabberwock, respectively.
* In the ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' and ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'' series, weapons can have the 'vorpal' element applied to them, which typically gives the weapon a chance to OneHitKill weaker enemies.
* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair II: Time Warp'' has a Wonderland level in which Dirk has to fight the Jabberwock.
* In Franchise/TheElderScrolls, the Wobbajack is the Daedric artifact given out by Sheogorath, the Prince of Madness. Fittingly, it has random, nonsensical effects, from turning the target into a chicken to summoning demons from Hell.
* In ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'', Jabberwocky is a two-headed dragon fought in the Water Palace.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'' has monsters called Bandersnatches.

[[AC:WebComics]]
* Milny's Vorpal Sword in ''Webcomic/PlanescapeSurvivalGuide'' goes Snicker-Snack when decapitating a Slaadi (giant frog monsters).
* In [[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2013-04-26/comic/non-storyline/randoms/the-big-one/ a non-storyline strip]] of ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'', Rogue's laser sword beheads a dragon and makes the UnsoundEffect "snicker-snak".

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Earthlings", Adam Strange recites stanzas of it to distract alien enforces on the planet. It works.

* Tim Burton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'' features the Jabberwock, the Bandersnatch and the Vorpal Sword.

* In the short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Creator/HenryKuttner and C. L. Moore (writing under the joint pseudonym of Lewis Padgett), the poem turns out to have been dictated by Lewis Caroll's young daughter after she received some SufficientlyAdvanced toys from the far future, and is a secretly-coded instruction manual for how to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence.

* In the ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' and WarriorsOrochi series, weapons can have the 'vorpal' element applied to them, which typically gives the weapon a chance to OneHitKill weaker enemies.

[[AC:{{Nonfiction}}]]
* [[Creator/DouglasRHofstadter Douglas R. Hoftstadter's]] ''MetamagicalThemas'' uses "Jabberwocky" as an example of a text that is difficult to translate, providing an example of several translations of the poem and discussing them in detail.

[[AC:Comics]]
* In Charles M. Schulz's ''{{Peanuts}}'', there's a fictional brand of breakfast cereal called Snicker-Snacks.

* PublicDomainArtifact: The Vorpal Blade is in many VideoGames as a sword that tends to chop heads off.

* {{Defictionalization}}: Some of the nonsense words that Carroll made up, such as "chortled", are now in the Oxford English Dictionary.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', the Jabberwock is among the most powerful statted creatures- more powerful than (almost) any dragon. It's a monstrous [[TheFairFolk fey]] creature whose only purpose is to spread destruction and chaos. Naturally, it has an instinctive aversion to vorpal weapons. The jub-jub bird and the bandersnatch also make appearances here.

* MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext: Unless you've read Carroll's definitions...

** {{Defictionalization}}: Some of these words, such as "chortled", are now in the Oxford English Dictionary.

* Tim Burton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland'' features the Jabberwock, the Bandersnatch and the Vorpal Sword.

* Being heavily influenced by ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'', the ''PandoraHearts'' manga features Jabberwocky as one of the most powerful chains in the series.

In 1977, Creator/TerryGilliam made a movie adaptation, also titled ''Film/{{Jabberwocky}}''.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* Tim Burton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland'' features the Jabberwock, the Bandersnatch and the Vorpal Sword.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The ''vorpal'' weapon property derives its name from the poem's vorpal sword. In D&D, such a weapon automatically decapitates its target on a critical hit/natural 20.
** A pair of tongue-in-cheek adventure modules that Gary Gygax wrote, based on the Wonderland books, included not only the Jabberwock, but also the bandersnatch (whose name is taken literally: it grabs opponents and ties them up) and jub-jub bird.

* The Jabbewock is a kind of monster -- one of the most powerful in the game -- found in the original ''VideoGame/{{Rogue}}''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Nethack}}'', a SpiritualSuccessor to Rogue, also contains a Jabberwock, as well as a Vorpal Sword (which indeed goes "snicker-snack" when attacking).
* The first game in ''VideoGame/TheBardsTaleTrilogy'' contains both a wolf-like bandersnatch and a dragon-like Jabberwock (who guards a SwordOfPlotAdvancement).
* The children in ''SwallowsAndAmazons'' seem to be fans of the poem, as they decide "galumphing" is the best way of quickly returning after visiting the charcoal-burners.
* In Charles M. Schulz's ''{{Peanuts}}'', there's a fictional brand of breakfast cereal called Snicker-Snacks.
* ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice'' features the Jabberwock, now a clockwork cyborg, as a major antagonist.
* It's also a monster in the WarhammerFantasyRoleplay bestiary, almost identical to the one in John Tenniel's original illustration for the poem.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', the Jabberwock is among the most powerful statted creatures- more powerful than (almost) any dragon. It's a monstrous [[TheFairFolk fey]] creature whose only purpose is to spread destruction and chaos. Naturally, it has an instinctive aversion to vorpal weapons. The jub-jub bird and the bandersnatch also make appearances here.
* Milny's Vorpal Sword in ''PlanescapeSurvivalGuide'' goes Snicker-Snack when decapitating a Slaadi (giant frog monsters).
* In the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Earthlings", Adam Strange recites stanzas of it to distract alien enforces on the planet. It works.

* In [[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2013-04-26/comic/non-storyline/randoms/the-big-one/ a non-storyline strip]] of ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'', Rogue's laser sword beheads a dragon and makes the UnsoundEffect "snicker-snak".
* At the beginning of each stage in ''VideoGame/{{eXceed}} 3rd - Jade Penetrate'', a DoujinSoft shmup, the poem is faintly visible underneath the text displaying the stage name and number.
* The Japanese version of VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV, of all places, has this. The dragon forms called the Behemoth, Weyr, and Peist in the English version were originally called the Bandersnatch, Jubjub, and Jabberwock, respectively.
* In the ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' and WarriorsOrochi series, weapons can have the 'vorpal' element applied to them, which typically gives the weapon a chance to OneHitKill weaker enemies.

* In "Franchise/TheElderScrolls", the Wobbajack is the Daedric artifact given out by Sheogorath, the Prince of Madness. Fittingly, it has random, nonsensical effects, from turning the target into a chicken to summoning demons from Hell.

A humorous nonsense ballad by Creator/LewisCarroll, by its original intent supposedly a {{parody}} of overwrought and poorly-written yet seriously-intended poems. It appeared in ''Literature/ThroughTheLookingGlass'', the second of Carroll's ''Alice'' books.

Nevertheless considered an excellent poem despite its nonsensicality. In fact, some of the nonsense words invented by Carroll for the poem -- like "vorpal" and "chortle" -- have entered usage and become semi-official words.

In 1977, Creator/TerryGilliam made a movie adaptation, also titled ''Jabberwocky''.

!!The movie contains examples of:

* AxCrazy: The guy with the "diamonds", aka a bunch of rocks.
* BlackComedy: Mild-mannered Dennis allows himself to be sent off to defeat the monster [[spoiler: and succeeds, winning the hand of the beautiful princess who adores him]], but he does it all for the love of ugly, greedy, unpleasant Griselda who is barely aware that he exists [[spoiler: and who only notices him when it's too late]]. Well, it's a Terry Gilliam film.
* BlackKnight: The city merchants hire one to ambush the king's champion, and winds up fighting the monster himself.
* BloodyHilarious: The jousting scene. We never see the impact of the combatants, only the royal box and its inhabitants (the King, his chancellor and the princess) getting increasingly splattered with gore.
** Also the monster's method of killing people which leaves just a horribly grimacing head attached to a skeleton, exactly like the remains of a fish eaten by a human.
** ...The whole film, really.
* TheCameo: Terry Gilliam himself shows up as an AxCrazy guy who thinks he's found a diamond mine (really, he's just found a pile of rocks). Creator/TerryJones turns up as a trapper who's the first on-screen victim of the Jabberwock.
* ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike: Mr. Fishfinger and his family are very rude to Dennis after he saves them from bandits
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The merchants of the city think the monster is the best thing to happen for business, so they'd rather it not be killed.
* DolledUpInstallment: It was released in some areas as ''Creator/MontyPython's Jabberwocky'', despite half of the group having no involvement.
** Although Neil Innes, sometimes called the seventh Python, does appear.
* TheDungAges
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: while the princess is fawning over Dennis, thinking he's a prince come to rescue her, an actual prince tries to climb up to her tower, only to fall to his death as soon as he gets to the top
* {{Jerkass}}: Griselda, Mr. Fishfinger, the merchants
* NothingIsScarier: the monster is never seen [[spoiler: until the very end]]
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: One of the king's heralds doesn't use overly complicated words, but does use something like 20 words when 5 would suffice. [[spoiler: The king eventually has him summarily executed out of pure annoyance.]]
* ToiletHumor: Dennis gets pissed on several times over the course of the movie.
* TooDumbToLive: When the king discovers that his land is threatened by the Jabberwock, he holds a contest to find the strongest knight in the land, by having all the knights ''battle each other to the death.'' Simply putting all his knights together into a single army, with all of them alive, apparently just wasn't done back then.
* VisualPun: The knight selected as the King's champion [[spoiler: who is killed by the Black Knight before he can fight the Jabberwock]] has a red fish on his helmet. In other words, he's the Knight of the RedHerring.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Dennis' dad takes the opportunity of being on his deathbed to tell Dennis how much he despises him.
-->'''Dennis''': Dad's delirious, I'm afraid.
-->'''Neighbour''': No he's not!
* WholesomeCrossdresser: One of the princess' nuns is apparently a man in disguise. [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment No explanation is given for this.]]
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* Tim Burton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland''.
* Disney's ''Disney/AliceInWonderland'' has the Cheshire Cat singing the first verse and also features a cameo by the mome raths.