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For other versions, see Glinda.

"When they were all quite presentable they followed the soldier girl into a big room where the Witch Glinda sat upon a throne of rubies. She was both beautiful and young to their eyes. Her hair was a rich red in color and fell in flowing ringlets over her shoulders. Her dress was pure white but her eyes were blue, and they looked kindly upon the little girl. "What can I do for you, my child?" she asked."
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (book) (1900)

Glinda (also known as Lady Glinda or Glinda the Good) is a fictional character invented by L. Frank Baum, the author and creator of the Oz legacy. She is the beautiful and independent Good Witch of the South, as well as the official Ruler of Quadling Country (Oz's southern quadrant), and made her first appearance in Chapter 23 ("Glinda the Good Grants Dorothy's Wish") of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (book), which is Baum's very first Oz novel. Compassionate, knowledgeable, and ethereally lovely, Glinda is the most educated and respected sorceress in the entire Land of Oz - despite her youthful beauty and lively personality, she was rumored and even hinted by Baum to be many centuries - if not millennia - old.

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Glinda blows farewell kisses to Dorothy and Toto. By Oz illustrator W. W. Denslow circa 1900.

Physical Appearance[]

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Glinda the Good Witch of the South. By Charles Santore.

Glinda was described to be a tall, stately, and extremely beautiful woman with long, rich reddish-gold hair that was "finer than the finest silken strands" and fell in "flowing ringlets" over her shoulders, and sky-blue eyes that were always "frank and smiling". Her cheeks were the "envy of peach-blows", and her mouth is "as enticing as a rosebud". She also dressed in accordance with her high authority - "splendid gowns that trailed behind her as she walked", but she wore no jewels, for "her beauty would shame them". Her attire was often pure white, for white is the traditional color of "good witches" in Oz, though other illustrations have also depicted her in either light pink, or dark pink, or dark red (the color of the Southern Quadlings).

Personality[]

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A faithful Illustration of Glinda's ruby studded palace as described in the original Oz books.

Glinda's spirit is just as beautiful as her outside physical appearance. She remains calm and collected even in the most chaotic of situations. She is soft spoken and speaks with truth, dignity and concern for others. She is a very compassionate, graceful and unselfish ruler who is loved by all who know her. Glinda is the wisest of the wise and a figure who values her privacy. Glinda is patient and displays acts of selflessness and kindness while expecting little in return.

She is "always kindly and helpful and willing to listen to... troubles, however busy she may be." [1] Glinda is one whom Princess Ozma, the child Queen of Oz and other characters (such as Dorothy Gale or the Scarecrow) often turn to for help when the people of Oz or the land in general experiences trouble.

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Glinda meets Dorothy. By W.W. Denslow 1900.

Baum's Glinda reads as a mastermind. She is highly intelligent and dedicated to Oz. Glinda rarely ever needs any help when it comes to defending herself. In the books she is much more assertive, hands-on and dominant compared to her movie counterpart. Glinda is frequently the one who is rescuing Oz, though only interferes when absolutely necessary.

She encourages female empowerment and independence, which was uncommon for the era in which the story was first told. Glinda is portrayed as a role model for girls to aspire to be like and is a force to be reckoned with.

Glinda occasionally exhibits a more ruthless, cunning side than her counterparts or companions. She threatens the wicked witch Mombi with death when questioning her, though she insists the threat is a false one. [2] Her tactic when surrounding a besieged Emerald City is to "lay siege to the city, and starve it into submission." She says this is the "only thing to do". [2]

Glinda demonstrates her commitment to honesty and truth when explaining she does not practice the magic of transformations, considering them to be deceitful. [2]

Lifestyle[]

Glinda's Palace can be found past in the southern Quadling Country, beyond the enchanted forest filled with Fighting Trees, China Country, and the hill of the unfriendly Hammer-Heads. In some books, Baum places her home north of Emerald City.

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Glinda's Head Attendant.

Glinda is said to travel throughout Oz riding a fancy chariot driven by swans or storks.

Glinda also seemingly employs two all-female groups that can categorized.

  • The first is a group of attendants, described as 50 girls "who had been selected from all parts of the Land of Oz on account of their wit and beauty and sweet dispositions. It was a great honor to be made one of Glinda's handmaidens." [3]
  • Second, her army is described as "brilliant" and is under the command of a captain who is also Glinda's private body guard. [4] They are all well trained and disciplined force, with neat and colorful uniforms. They bear silver-tipped spears and swords, along with shields "edged with peacock feathers". [2]

History[]

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Glinda is very old despite her youthful appearance, and therefore not every detail of her past can be fully told.

Many centuries ago, when Oz was ruled by a Wicked king, Glinda placed the Forbidden Fountain on the grounds where the Royal Palace of Oz stands long before the Emerald City had been built or King Pastoria had ruled. The Wicked King and all his subjects drank of it, and afterward grew wise together. (The Emerald City of Oz)

Glinda became the Ruler of the Quadlings after vanquishing the Wicked Witch of the South. (Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz)

Over a hundred years ago, Dorothy Gale visited Glinda on her first visit to Oz to ask for her help in returning to Kansas. The Good Witch told her of the charm of the Silver Shoes. Then she took the Golden Cap from Dorothy and commanded the Winged Monkeys to carry the Scarecrow back to the Emerald City, the Cowardly Lion back to the forest where he was made king, the Tin Woodman to the Winkie Country to rule as Emperor. She then gave the Cap to the Winged Monkeys, thereby freeing them forever. (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (book))

When the Scarecrow was deposed as King of Oz by General Jinjur's Army of Revolt, Glinda politely declined to help him regain the royal throne in the Emerald City. And instead initiated a long grueling search across all the land of Oz, for the rightful ruler of royal blood. The only heir to the throne of Oz was the long lost Princess Ozma, the daughter of King Pastoria who once ruled in a kingdom before the Wizard arrived. Glinda eventually learned that Oscar the Wizard had kidnapped Ozma when she was just a mere infant and had secretly taken her to a mean old Witch named Mombi who lived in the country of the purple Gillikins who inhabited the north lands. The Wizard made a deal with the old Witch Mombi to take the baby princess and hide her away forever and not ever tell a soul where she was. Mombi agreed to the Wizards favor and she magically transformed the royal infant Ozma, to a kitchen boy named Tip to work hard labor as her slave. Despite this disguise Mombi had made for the child Glinda finally captured Mombi and forced her to restore the long missing Ozma to her rightful form. (The Marvelous Land of Oz)

When Dorothy visited the Land of Oz a second time, Glinda advised against her using the Magic Belt to return home, suggesting that it would be lost forever like the Silver Shoes she had used previously. (Ozma of Oz)

Following the Wizard's return to Oz, Glinda took it upon herself to instruct the former humbug in the magical arts, and turn him into a real wizard. (Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz)

After reading in her Great Book of Records about the Nome King's attempt to conquer Oz, Glinda placed a spell on the entire country to make it invisible to outsiders. (The Emerald City of Oz) Glinda read of Queen Ann Soforth's plan to conquer Oz in her Record Book, and redirected the queen and her army to the Nome Kingdom. (Tik-Tok of Oz)

She sent the Scarecrow to help Trot and Cap'n Bill when they arrived in Jinxland. (The Scarecrow of Oz)

When Princess Dorothy and Ozma went to the tribes of the Skeezers and the Flatheads and were trapped in the underwater island of the Skeezers, Glinda assembled a group of Ozma's counselors to help bring the underwater island back above water. (Glinda of Oz)

Other Books[]

In Magician of Oz (2009), by James C. Wallace II, Glinda, along with Princess Ozma and Dorothy, greet young Jamie Diggs, the great grandson of O.Z. Diggs, when he arrives at Glinda's Red Brick Palace, courtesy of Polychrome and her father, the Great Rainbow. She also joins Jamie, Dorothy and Princess Ozma on a tumultuous journey in the Large Red Wagon, pulled by the Sawhorse through the Quadling Countryside on into the Winkie Country. She continues on and Bungle the Glass Cat joins the group as they board a raft bound for the Tin Palace of the Tin Woodman.

In the Magic Land series, the Good Witch of the South is named Stella. In the first book, The Wizard of the Emerald City, she serves the same purpose as Glinda in Baum's version, telling Ellie Smith how to return home to Kansas by using the silver shoes. However, while Glinda remains active in Baum's subsequent books, Stella never appears in person in Volkov's alternate sequels, though she does send the Scarecrow a magical TV set - Volkov's equivalent of the Magic Picture (also, an episode with the flight of characters on the dragon to Stella was in the early newspaper version of the last book in 1976, but it was not included in the final edition).

Glinda the Good Witch also appears in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch, where she, while still known as Galinda Upland, befriends Elphaba Thropp, the future Wicked Witch of the West. Glinda remains the Good Witch of the North like in the 1939 MGM movie.

Glinda, also referred to as "the goddess", is the secondary antagonist of the Oz novella Birds of Prey. She appears in a luxurious marble palace and is worshiped as a deity by the natives of the land of Oz. Glinda is depicted as an extremely tall, beautiful vampiress with long, voluminous auburn hair and crimson eyes. She wears beautiful silk gowns and a small tiara, and she continuously tries to kill the main character of the book, Xander Byrne. It is revealed that she wishes to wed Aiden, the Wizard of Oz.

An origin for Glinda found in Paradox in Oz says that she was once an ordinary woman in the days before Oz was an enchanted land. She was old then and considered ugly by the cruel King Oz, thus causing him to brand her a witch. She was thrown into prison with another falsely accused woman, who revealed she had previously encountered the fairy queen Lurline. After days and nights of chanting like the witches they were accused of being, the two were able to summon Lurline, who revealed her plans to enchant Oz and make them genuine witches. Glinda was then allowed to escape and was given refuge by Dr. Majestico, a scientist whom King Oz believed to be a wizard and was too afraid to cross. Sometime later, King Oz drank from the Fountain of Oblivion and forgot his cruelty, allowing the enchantment that swept through Oz a moment later to make it a beautiful fairy land. Glinda became a true witch after that and her inner goodness caused her to become young and beautiful. The other women who escaped became witches as well, though some went against Lurline's wishes and became the infamous Wicked Witches whom Dorothy and co. encountered. This explanation is one of the first real accounts of an origin story for the Witches of Oz.

Yet another take on Glinda appears in Tarl Teleford's The Hidden History of Oz series. Here, she is introduced as a young sixteen year old under pressure to live up to her mother, the Ruby Sorceress Gayelette, while establishing her own identity. She is soon pushed into a grand adventure when four Wicked Witches declare war on Oz and usurp her mother's secrets. This version of Glinda is notable for not being centuries old though her mother is at least a hundred and the Wicked Witches are much older than her.

A much different Glinda appears in Dorothy in the Land of Monsters as she is revealed to have come from Earth via a plane caught in a storm who upon arriving in Oz mysteriously found herself with magic powers. She had been born in New York City before moving to Greenwich Connecticut and studying as archeologist at a university in Manhattan. She was digging in Africa and was flying a single occupant plane in order for a doctor to treat her dysentery. Although the other witches couldn't cure her, Mombi despite being a zombie intent on making people undead gave her the silver boots akin to slippers and helped her create ruby ones after the first pair was stolen by Gayelette. She occasionally uses them to travel between both worlds bringing jewels back from Oz to give to her family who have no idea where she really goes off to. As a cover story, she claimed that she married a Maharaja.

In Andrew Heller's The Lost Girls of Glinda the Good Glinda brings a girl named Sarah Johnson from the Outside World into Oz to help defeat the Wicked Witch of the North. Glinda knows of a prophecy that says a girl from America will save Oz from the Wicked Witches. Although Sarah defeats the witch, she does not survive the ordeal, leaving two Wicked Witches still in power in Oz. In the accompanying short story The Puppet Mistress of Oz, which was also included in the anthology The Lost Tales of Oz, Dorothy, Ozma, Betsy and Trot realize that Glinda was the one behind Dorothy ‘s house landing on the Wicked Witch of the East, and she purposely risked Dorothy’s life to defeat the witches instead of sending Dorothy home. The girls then have their minds erased by Glinda herself.

Book Appearances[]

Abilities and Items[]

Magical Abilities[]

"She is the most powerful of all the Witches..."

"She has wonderful magical powers..."

As one of the few in Oz who are privileged and always authorized to legally practice the magical arts, Glinda is easily the most powerful practitioner of magic in Oz, and has therefore frequently saved the entire land from impending serious threats. In fact, it was said that virtually nothing of any significant importance happens in Oz without her knowledge, and she is described officially as being the "Royal Sorceress of Oz". Examples of powers Glinda derived from her magic are:

  • Decelerated Aging/Immortality: Even before Lurline enchanted Oz and stopped its inhabitants from aging, Glinda had the power to age at a slower-than-normal rate, for she knew "how to keep young in spite of the many years she had lived". Though it was never specifically stated or confirmed, it was also possible that she was immortal, having an infinite lifespan.
  • Ecokinesis: Glinda had the power to manipulate the forces of nature and the elements connected to it. Examples of other abilities she derived from this province are:
    • Atmokinesis: Glinda had the power to manipulate the weather, for she could command "the spirits of the air". Miss Cuttenclips also once commented that "Glinda keeps all the rain storms away; so I never worry about my dolls getting wet."
    • Hydrokinesis: Glinda had the power to manipulate water - she created the fountain that held the Waters of Oblivion in the Emerald City. She also once participated with other practitioners of magic in manipulating the waters of a lake - "together they stretched their arms over the water's edge and in unison the five chanted a rhythmic incantation...the lake had begun to recede from the shore...gradually the water fell..."
    • Chlorokinesis: Glinda had the power to manipulate plant-life - she once caused a tree to grow at a party, which instantly bore an abundant supply of delicious fruit for all the guests to enjoy.
  • Spell Negation: Glinda had the power to negate spells, as demonstrated by her restoring the enchanted Prince Bobo back to his true shape after a series of transformations.
  • Animation: Glinda had the power to animate inanimate objects - through her "magic recipe No. 1163", she made a boat move in accordance to her every command.
  • Zookinesis (possibly): Though it was never specifically stated or confirmed, it was still possible that Glinda had the power to influence animal behavior - she once sent a message "by means of a strong-winged Eagle", and in another instance, she not only disabled a tiger and paralyzed a wolf, but also rendered them both mute. However, it remains unknown if she had influenced the animals directly, or had applied external forces to restrain them.
  • Misdirection (possibly): Though it was never specifically stated or confirmed, it was also still possible that Glinda had the power to cause others to become lost - she once performed a magical ceremony that caused an invading army from Oogaboo to get lost in twists and turns ("The result was that...they were not in the Land of Oz at all, but in an adjoining territory that was quite distinct from Ozma's domain and separated from Oz by an invisible barrier."). However, it remains unknown if she had manipulated the army or the physical route itself.

Items[]

  • Garment related:
    • She "found a way to make threads from emeralds, by softening the stones and then spinning them into long, silken strands." A dress is then produced for Ozma. (The Magic of Oz)
    • She can restrain her enemies using a golden thread. This thread is used to debilitate the wicked witch Mombi. "The old hag was absolutely helpless so long as the magical thread encircled her throat.” (The Marvelous Land of Oz)
    • Upon capture, Glinda threatens to make Mombi drink of a "powerful draught which will cause you to forget all the magic you have ever learned." [5]
  • Potions:
    • Glinda's laboratory at her palace contains "all her rare chemical compounds and her instruments of sorcery." She creates a match that can douse large fires. [6]
  • Records:
    • Glinda keeps everything updated and neatly chronicled in her book of good spells. Most sacred is her Great Book of Records. Glinda keeps this treasured book in a chamber within her palace that is guarded by her trusted female attendants at all times.
  • Other inventory:
    • A golden casket containing a pearl affixed to a thin gold chain. She explains that "Only when the truth is spoken will my magic pearl remain a pure white in color." While wearing the necklace and upon hearing the wicked witch Mombi's lies, the pearl becomes black in color to signal deceit. (The Marvelous Land of Oz).
    • A magic carpet capable of unrolling at great speeds and immune to the effects of the Deadly Desert. (Ozma of Oz).
    • "Live paper" that she provides to Miss Cuttenclips. The forms she cuts from the paper become alive. (The Emerald City of Oz)
    • On occasions Glinda sometimes carries a bejewled golden scepter or magic wand that helps her cast only good spells that help protect Oz.

Though she is an enchantress of all things magical and mysterious, there are limits to Glinda's power and knowledge. She explains "I have lived here many years...and I have not seen all the wonders of Oz yet." [1] Although she is capable, she is not omniscient. She was ignorant of the Skeezers and Flatheads in the north, telling Ozma "those who never leave their own countries and never are visited by those from our favored part of Oz, naturally are unknown to me." She later is unable to discover much about the Skeezers, explaining their magic "prevents anyone outside of their domain knowing anything about them." [7]

Other Appearances in Media[]

Television[]

  • In the popular TV show That's 70's Show, stuck indoors as a Tornado hits the Wisconsin town, a vain and shallow Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis) dreams she is Dorothy Gale who consults Glinda to be Snow Queen on the night of her prom.
  • The late, great Natalie Cole played the part in The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True at Lincoln Center.
  • In the hit TV show on ABC, Once Upon a Time, Glinda appears as a character in the Oz episodes. She remains the Good Witch of the South like in the original book. She is portrayed by actress Sunny Mabrey.
  • In Glinda the Fashion Icon, Kelly Osbourne portrayed Glinda the Good for jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino.
  • Nightlife celebrity Amanda Lepore dressed up as Glinda for the Heatherrette clothing line.
  • Martha Stewart dressed as Glinda in 2013 for Halloween.
  • In 2014 Ellen Degeneres dressed as Glinda for the 86th Annual Academy Award show.
  • MAD TV made a spoof version of The Wizard of Oz. After the Wizard accidentally leaves Dorothy behind and floats away in his hot air balloon, Glinda the Good appears before a distraught Dorothy and her companions. And Dorothy tells Glinda how she really feels about her...
  • Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, she is a supporting character (though not as frequent as Ozma) and in later seasons her evil twin sister Melinda the Mean is introduced. The Glinda Hop is also named after her.
Glinda

Dee Dee as Glinda

Musicals[]

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Uzo Aduba as Glinda 2015.


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Glinda the Good from the Oz books and 1939 film musical.

Movies[]

  • The Wizard of Oz (1939): Once the toast of Broadway, Billie Burke portrayed Glinda as the Good Witch of the North (Instead of the South like in the books) in MGM's iconic musical version of The Wizard of Oz, the 1939 classic film. Burke’s Glinda had red hair similar to Glinda in Baum’s first novel, but wore a gown of pink instead of white. Burke’s Glinda is the most memorable portrayal of the character.
  • In The Wonderful Land of Oz, Glinda is played by Hillary Lee Gaess. She sings 2 very memorable songs in the film, titled "Try To Touch a Star" and "I've Watched Over You" (in which she touchingly tells the Scarecrow that he possess not only a brain, but also a heart). She turns Tip back into Ozma herself in this version.
  • In Journey Back to Oz, Glinda is voiced by opera singer Rise Stevens. She says that her magic is no match for Mombi's (the direct opposite of which was true in the canonical books), but she emboldens Dorothy with an operatic song called "You Have Only You (To Look To)", helps the young heroine the way the Queen of the Field Mice helped the protagonists in The Marvelous Land of Oz, and sends Dorothy back to Kansas by conjuring up another twister. Instead of the Book of Records, Glinda can tell what's going on elsewhere in Oz by using her Glinda Bird.
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    Lena Horne as Glinda the good

  • In The Wiz (1978), Glinda was portrayed by legendary actress Lena Horne.
  • The Wizard of Oz (1982) Dorothy sees Glinda approach behind her with Toto in a reflection on the water.
  • In The Wizard of Oz (1982), Glinda appears in the Emerald City following the Wizard's departure, and reveals the secret of the Magic Shoes to Dorothy, without waiting for Dorothy to visit her in the South as in Baum's original novel. In this version, the Good Witch of the North is her sister.
  • [1]

In Return to Oz, Glinda can be barely seen briefly in the background in the coronation scene during the celebration held within the throne room of the Emerald City. Her appearance is based on John R. Neill’s illustrations of Glinda.

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Glinda in Return to Oz (1985)

  • GoodWitch

    Anime 1986

    The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Anime 1986: In the anime adaptation, Glinda is portrayed as a tall, slender sorceress with long blue hair. She offers to make Dorothy a Princess of Oz when she first meets her, in return for all her heroic deeds, but Dorothy is determined to return to Kansas. When Jinjur and Mombi refuse to change their villainous ways, following Ozma's restoration to the throne, Glinda uses her magic to make them reform, against their will, thus preventing any further trouble from the rebel and the witch. As the series draws to an end, Glinda appears to magically save Dorothy from falling to her death, following an encounter with the Nome King's minions.
  • Miss Piggy plays Glinda, in 2005's The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. In this version she is also attracted to the Scarecrow who is played by Kermit the Frog (just like Miss Piggy is attracted to Kermit in "real life").
  • In the 2013 Walt Disney Pictures film Oz: The Great and Powerful, Glinda was played by actress Michelle Williams.
  • In Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, Bernadette Peters provides the voice of Glinda the Good, whose CGI appearance somewhat resembles Billie Burke.
  • In Barnyard Studio's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz independent film Glinda is played by Actress Leah Copeland.
  • Uzo Aduba portrayed the role of Glinda in The Wiz Live!
  • In Tin Man TV miniseries, Queen Lavender-Eyes, the former ruler of the OZ, Lavender-Eyes is based on Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. She is the mother of Azkadellia and D.G., and wife of Ahamo. Various flashbacks show her on her pavilion in Finaqua, a beautiful lakeland where she used to take DG and "Az" when they were children. When Azkadellia becomes possessed by the spirit of the Evil Witch of the Dark, Azkadellia organizes a rebellion against her mother and seizes the throne for herself. She then imprisons Lavender-Eyes on a barren island in the middle of the ocean and leaves her there. Azkadellia occasionally comes to visit Lavender-Eyes, usually to mock her and sometimes to torture her by making torrential downpour fall upon her. Azkadellia can teleport to and from the island at whim by clapping her hands, and she is able to observe it at any time through a magical glass dome in her palace. Azkadellia seems to hate Lavender-Eyes passionately. She plans to allow Lavender-Eyes to live until the day when she can "see her hope die", and relishes mocking her mother, even making a point of telling her that DG is dead. Nevertheless, Lavender-Eyes never gives up hope that Azkadellia is not beyond redemption. When DG arrives at the pavilion where she used to sit with her mother when she was child she finds a holographic recording of Lavender-Eyes telling her to go the Land of the Unwanted and find her father, Ahamo. Lavender-Eyes is later reunited with Ahamo by Azkadellia, but only so that she can taunt and eventually kill them. When Azkadellia is freed from the Evil Witch that possesses her and reverts to her previous benevolent self, Lavender-Eyes stands with her, DG, and Ahamo and watches the suns rise in the distance. It is also worth mentioning that Lavender-Eyes is never stated to be the Queen's actual name. She is referred to as the Queen throughout the series but she is named as "Lavender-Eyes" in the ending credits. Glitch at one point tries to remember her name but cannot.
  • Emerald City: Glinda (Joely Richardson) is one of the Cardinal Witches of Oz, known as the Maiden of the Northern Light, Mother of the Sound and Pure. She is the Witch of the North just like the 1939 film but the character of the Witch of the South, nominally Glinda in the books, is a separate entity in the series. There's a mention of Mother South, a Cardinal Witch who is said to have been killed by the Beast Forever, implied to be the mother of the other three witches. At the start of the series she arrives to the Emerald City to put her fallen sister, East, to rights in the Sacred Temple. The Temple has been sealed by the Wizard before, and has a giant statue of a warrior, an Eternal Warrior, located above it poised to destroy the Temple at a moments notice should Glinda or her sisters take up magic once more. As magic has been banned in Oz, Glinda now runs an orphanage. East even asks Dorothy, if she's one of 'Glinda's girls' sent out to kill her, meaning there's a second layer to the orphanage venture.
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Emerald City

Quotes[]

"My one and only wish is to return home to Kansas!" said Dorothy. "For Aunt Em will surely think something dreadful has happened to me and Toto, and that will make her grieve and put on mourning; and unless the crops are better this year than they were last, I am sure Uncle Henry cannot afford it. Can you help me, will you help me?" Dorothy pleaded. Glinda leaned forward and kissed the sweet, upturned face of the little girl. "Bless your dear heart," she said, "I am sure I can tell you of a way to get back to Kansas. "
―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)


"Those Silver Shoes you wear are charmed." Said Glinda the Good. "They have many magical powers held within them. And one of the most astonishing things about them is that they can carry you to any place in the world in three solid steps, and each step will be made in the wink of an eye. All you have to do is to knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go..."
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)


"Now close yor eyes, and tap your heels together three times, and think to yourself; there's no place like home .."
―Glinda (1939)


"Home is a place we all must find child. It's not just a place where you eat or sleep. Home is knowing, knowing your Mind, knowing your Heart, knowing your Courage. If we know ourselves, We're always home anywhere."
―The Wiz (1978)
""Glinda is a Good Witch, isn't she?" asked Dorothy timidly. "The native Quadlings believe she is of good." Said the soldier. "And she is compassionate and kind to everyone who encounters her. "
―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)


Trivia[]

  • Glinda was by far the most powerful witch in Oz, despite The Wicked Witch of the West being the most dangerous. Glinda could have destroyed her and The Wicked Witch of the East far before Dorothy, but did not, as she did fear the West Witch. Next to Glinda's power, The Wicked Witch of the East comes in second powerful, given the Silver Shoes were so powerful, The Wicked Witch of the West couldn't dominate Oz without them and could not retrieve them after her death. The Third most powerful would be The Good Witch of the North (given her kiss protected Dorothy from the Wicked Witch of the West's harm.
  • Baum never said that Glinda travels via magic floating bubble like the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz portrayed her to do. But the magic floating bubble for Glinda's way of transportation has been an extremely popular element that many versions and takes on Oz enjoy using for the theme of her overall look and character; such as in Gregory Maguire's best selling mature Oz novel tilted Wicked, and the successful Broadway musical of the same name. Or also like in Walt Disney's 2013 film, Oz the Great and Powerful. In the books the magic bubble is never mentioned. Instead
  • The true Glinda was not of the North as it was made out to be in the classic MGM film of 1939. In Baum's Oz books, Glinda earned respect and praise after vanquishing the Wicked Witch of the South and freeing the native people called Quadlings from slavery. The original Good Witch of the North, who rules over the Gillikin Country in Oz is actually a little old and short woman by the name of Locasta Tattypoo. Despite this fact, she has been glanced over due to the popularity and fame the movie has achieved as she was replaced with the character of Glinda and completely left out in the film version. It was she who was first called upon by the Munchkins to welcome Dorothy Gale and Toto to Oz in Munchkin Country. Glinda however, did not make an appearance until the very end of the tale. She did not come to a distressed Dorothy to save the day, in fact, Dorothy had to travel very far to find her as she was the girl's last resort of finding a way home after the Wizard failed her.
  • Scholars have argued that The Star Wars character Queen Padmé Amidala, has some of the mannerisms and attributes that may indeed be loosely based on the Oz character of Glinda in the Oz books. As both are beautiful and graceful rulers who are of good nature yet are also independent and fearless, standing up for others and fighting for what they believe in. They are positive role models for young girls to aspire to be like as they have the charm and femininity of a woman and the strength and position of a powerful man.
  • In the book, Glinda is the Good Witch of the South. In the movie, she is of the North.
  • Surprisingly in Baum's book, Glinda is the only one who wears red rubies, as Dorothy Gale wore Silver Shoes instead of the iconic Ruby Slippers. The Silver Shoes were turned to ruby ones by the 1939 film to take advantage of the new, dazzling Technicolor effect that was being used in that era.
  • Unlike the many versions that portray Glinda as a blonde, in the book, Glinda is a redhead with long curly hair and dark blue eyes and fair white skin.
  • In the book, Glinda travels through Oz in a chariot. Transportation via magic floating bubble is never mentioned by Baum.

Photos and Art[]

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Billie Burke as Glinda 1939.

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Glinda the Good with Princess Ozma and Princess Dorothy. by Jhon R. Neill

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Gallery[]

Credits[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :1
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Marvelous Land of Oz
  3. The Magic of Oz
  4. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :0
  5. The Marvelous Land of Oz
  6. The Lost Princess of Oz
  7. Glinda of Oz
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