Winnetou

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(Redirected from Vinetou)

Winnetou is the American-Indian hero of several novels written by Karl May (the best selling German writer of all time), in German language including the sequel Winnetou I to Winnetou III. According to Karl May's story, first-person-narrator Old Shatterhand encounters Winnetou and, after initial dramatic events, a true friendship among Old Shatterhand and the Apache Winnetou arises; on many occasions they give proof of great fighting skill but also of compassion for other human beings. It portrays a belief in an innate "goodness" of mankind, albeit constantly threatened by ill-intentioned enemies.

Winnetou became the fictional chief of the tribe of the Mescalero-Apaches after his father Intschu-tschuna and his sister Nscho-tschi were slain by the white bandit Santer. He rode a horse called Iltschi (that is "Wind") and had a famous rifle called "Silberbüchse" (that is "The Silver Gun", a double barrel rifle whose stock and butt were decorated with silver studs). Old Shatterhand became the blood brother of Winnetou and rode the brother of Iltschi, called Hatatitla (that is "Lightning"). In the last book of the trilogy Winnetou himself was murdered.

Karl May's "Winnetou" novels symbolize, to some extent, a romantic desire for a simpler life in close contact with nature. In fact, the popularity of the series is due in large part to the ability of the stories to tantalize fantasies many Germans and Austrians had and have for this more untamed environment. The sequel has become the origin of festivals (the "Karl-May-Festspiele" or "Karl-May-Spiele", first initiated in Bad Segeberg, Germany, and then expanded to further places like Lennestadt-Elspe) in honor of Karl May or, rather, of his Apache hero, Winnetou. Now, they are never difficult to find in either Germany or Austria.

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Original German Winnetou-books

  • Winnetou I-III (1893)
Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.7, "Winnetou I" - ISBN 3780200074
Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.8, "Winnetou II" - ISBN 3780200082
Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.9, "Winnetou III" - ISBN 3780200090
  • Winnetous Erben (Winnetou IV) (1910)
Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.33, "Winnetous Erben" - ISBN 3780200333

Winnetou is also featured prominently in the following novels: Old Surehand I/II, Weihnacht, Unter Geiern, Der Ölprinz, Old Firehand.

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Karl May movies with the Winnetou-character

In all following movies Winnetou was played by French actor Pierre Brice. The music for all Winnetou-movies was composed by German composer Martin Boettcher, except "Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand", which was composed by German composer Peter Thomas.

  • Der Schatz im Silbersee (1962) - Treasure of Silver Lake (1965) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
  • Winnetou 1. Teil (1963) - Apache Gold (1965) (Germany)
  • Old Shatterhand (1964) - Apaches Last Battle (1964) (UK)
  • Winnetou 2. Teil (1964) - Last of the Renegades (1966) (UK) (Germany)
  • Unter Geiern (1964) - Frontier Hellcat (1966) (Germany)
  • Der Ölprinz (1965) - Rampage at Apache Wells (1965)
  • Winnetou 3. Teil (1965) - Winnetou: The Desperado Trail (1965) (Germany)
  • Old Surehand 1. Teil (1965) - Flaming Frontier (1969) (Germany)
  • Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi (1966) - Half-Breed (1973) (Germany)
  • Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966) - Thunder at the Border (1966) (Germany)
  • Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (1968) - Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death (1968) (Germany)

All of the Winnetou-cinema-movies are available on VHS-tape (PAL) (some also dubbed in English under the above mentioned English titles). "Winnetou I - III", "Der Schatz im Silbersee", "Old Shatterhand" and "Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten" are also available on DVD (region-code 2) - but all in German only. Within 2004/2005 the missing movies will also appear on DVD - DVD-extras until now are unknown.

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TV-mini-series

Also in the following series' Winnetou was played by French actor Pierre Brice.

  • Mein Freund Winnetou (1980) - My friend Winnetou - Winnetou le Mescalero, 6 episodes á 52 min.
  • Winnetous Rückkehr (that is "The return of Winnetou") (1989), 2 parts, in all 171 min.bs:Winnetou

cs:Vinnetou de:Winnetou hu:Winnetou nl:Winnetou pl:Winnetou ru:Виннету sr:Винету

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