History Main / BlowThatHorn

Horns in fiction tend to figure in three main ways: Horns of Summoning, Horns of Inspiration, and Horns of Destruction.

Horns in fiction tend to figure in three main ways:

* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' series: At the end of ''The Castle of Llyr'' Eilonwy gives Taran a silver-bound battle horn from Caer Colur. In ''Taran Wanderer'' the dwarf Doli identifies it as the work of the Fair Folk, with the ability to summon them if the correct notes are played upon it.
* In ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies'', Ralph and Piggy sound a conch shell to gather the boys together. [[spoiler: The eventual crushing of the shell alongside Piggy symbolizes the descent into savagery of the boys]].

** In the last book, Merry blows the Horn of Rohan to call out the hobbit militia to fight off Saruman's men.
* In ''Literature/TheSongOfRoland'', Roland dies after blowing his horn so loudly that his ''brain bursts out of his ears''. He succeeds in summoning Charlemange, who's many miles away.

* The Horn of Valere is a SummoningArtifact in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' series that calls the great Heroes of the Ages to fight for its wielder.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' there is the horn Dragonbinder, created by the Valyrians and acquired by [[EvilOverlord Euron Greyjoy]], one of the most evil characters in this CrapsackWorld. He claims he can use it to summon dragons, though when one of his men blows it they die from being burnt within.

* ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain'' series: At the end of ''The Castle of Llyr'' Eilonwy gives Taran a silver-bound battle horn from Caer Colur. In ''Taran Wanderer'' the dwarf Doli identifies it as the work of the Fair Folk, with the ability to summon them if the correct notes are played upon it.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheMidnightGospel]]'', when Clancy wishes to exit a simulation, he blows on a shofar, after which a third eye appears on his forehead and he is transported back to the Ribbon.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheMidnightGospel]], when Clancy wishes to exit a simulation, he blows on a shofar, after which a third eye appears on his forehead and he is transported back to the Ribbon.

[[caption-width-right:350:Namor blows! (And summons a hoard of sea monsters)]]

[[folder:Horns of Summoning]]

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* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'', the Huntsman can be summoned into town by a cop blowing the Horn of Urgency.

[[folder:Horns of Inspiration]]

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* In ''VideoGame/AgeOfMythology'', the Einherjar myth unit carries a horn, which it blows while in combat to boost the attack of nearby friendly units.
* The Hunting Horn in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' can provide {{Status Buff}}s or [[TheMedic healing]] to nearby hunters when played. [[InstrumentOfMurder It can also be used to smack monsters]].

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* In UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}}, the ''shofar'' is a ram's horn blown during the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services to inspire awe and repentance.

[[folder:Horns of Destruction]]

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* The German Stuka dive bomber in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII was equipped with a piercing siren called the 'Jericho Trumpet' that sounded as the bomber dove towards its target. The Stuka was perhaps the most effective weapon of the war's first year, and its terrifying sound was key to the demoralization of many Allied forces.

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/{{Submariner}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/horn_of_proteous.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/horn_of_proteous.jpg]]

** In the BookOfRevelation, seven horns are to be played by angels at the end of days, calling down fire and destruction on the world.

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* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' there is the horn Dragonbinder, created by the Valyrians and acquired by [[TheDreaded Euron Greyjoy]], one of the most evil characters in this CrapsackWorld. He claims he can use it to summon dragons, though when one of his men blows it they die from being burnt within.

* TheBible:

** Creator/RobertBrowning's ''Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came'' (based on both the medieval Roland and on a nonsense line from ''Theater/KingLear'') has a "slughorn" that he sounds at the very end of the poem, though what exactly this horn does is never quite made clear.

* In NorseMythology, the Gjallarhorn is the sounding horn of Heimdall. He is fated to blow it during [[{{Gotterdammerung}} Ragnarok]], in order to rally the gods to fight the invading giants.

** Horn of Collapsing. If used properly, it can cause the ceiling (indoors) or roof overhead (underground) to collapse on oppone

* ''VideoGame/GetAmped'': the Gjallarhorn gear is a giant horn that lsummons Jormungandr, the Norse dragon of the end times, to do your bidding. Said dragon also has poisonous breath.

LetsGetDangerous, in horn form. The non-verbal equivalent of the RousingSpeech. They may signal the arrival of TheCavalry (often literally) and give {{Status Buff}}s. They're commonly played by TheBard.

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