The stories initially involve the adventures of mining heirDavid Innes and his inventor friend Abner Perry after they use an "iron mole" to burrow 500 miles into the Earth's crust. Later protagonists include indigenouscaveman Tanar and additional visitors from the surface world, notably Tarzan, Jason Gridley, and Frederich Wilhelm Eric von Mendeldorf und von Horst.[2]
In Burroughs' concept, the Earth is a hollow shell with Pellucidar as the internal surface of its shell. Pellucidar is accessible to the surface world via apolar tunnel, allowing passage between both the inner and outer worlds[3] through which a rigidairship visits in the fourth book of the series.[4] Although the inner surface of the Earth has a smaller total area than the outer, Pellucidar actually has a greater land area, as its continents mirror the surface world's oceans and its oceans mirror the surface world's continents.
The peculiarities of Pellucidar'sgeography are caused by the concave curvature of its surface. There is no horizon; the further distant an object is, the higher it appears to be, until it is finally lost in a void of atmospheric haze.
Pellucidar is lit by a miniaturesun suspended at the center of the hollow sphere, so it is perpetually overhead and gives a sensation of eternal noon wherever one is in Pellucidar. The sole exception is a region directly under a tiny geostationarymoon of the internal sun. As a result, this region is under a perpetualeclipse and is known as the "Land of Awful Shadow". The moon has its own plant life and (presumably)animal life, and either has its ownatmosphere or is simply suspended within Pellucidar's. The miniature sun does not change in brightness and never sets. As a result, with no night or seasonal progression, the natives have little concept of time. The events of the series suggest that time is elastic, passing at different rates in different areas of Pellucidar and varying even in single locations. Also, several characters living in Pellucidar who are originally from the outer world appear to age slowly and exhibit considerable longevity. This is known through their interactions with visitors from the outer world, where time passes at a fixed rate.
Pellucidar is populated by primitive civilizations andprehistoric creatures, includingdinosaurs. The region in which Innes and Perry initially find themselves is ruled by the Mahars, a species of intelligentpterosaurs resemblingRhamphorhynchus with vastpsychic powers. The Mahars usetelekinesis on the neighboring tribes ofStone Age humans as a way of securing their territory.[5] Eventually, two explorers united the tribes in overthrowing the Mahars' reign and establish a human "Empire of Pellucidar" instead.[6]
While the Mahars are the dominant species in the Pellucidar novels, these creatures are usually confined to their handful of cities. Before their downfall, the Mahars used Sagoths (a race ofgorilla-men who speak the same language as Tarzan'sMangani)[4] in enforcing their rule over any tribes who disobeyed their orders.[5][6] Though Burroughs' novels suggest that the Mahars' domain is limited to one relatively small region of Pellucidar,John Eric Holmes' authorized sequelMahars of Pellucidar indicates there are other areas ruled by Mahars.
Beyond the Mahars' domain exist independent human cultures, many of them at a Stone Age level of development. Technically, more advanced exceptions include the Korsars (corsairs), a maritime raiding society descended from surface-worldBarbary pirates,[3] and the Xexots, an indigenousBronze Age civilization.[7] All of the human inhabitants in Pellucidar share a common worldwide language.
Various animals reside in Pellucidar. Many of Pellucidar's fauna consist of prehistoric creatures, which are extinct on the surface world. However, some animals are creations of Edgar Rice Burroughs himself. They are listed below by outer world name (if known), Pellucidarian name (if known), and the novel in which they first appear, along with any relevant comments.
Ant Bear — An elephant-sizedorycteropodid (which theAardvark is a part of) which preys on the Giant Ants. It has no outer world equivalent and its Pellucidarian name is unknown.
Antelopes — Pellucidarian name unknown. One antelope species resembles acommon eland with spiral horns curved to the back of their ears. It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Hyaenodon (Jalok) — A dog-like carnivore which is not related to eitherhyenas orwolves. They have been referred to asWolfdogs and can be domesticated by the Ape-Men. In Pellucidar David domesticates two of them. It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Hydrophidian — A giantsea snake that is designated by Burroughs. Neither the actual outer world or Pellucidarian equivalent are known. It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Hyracotherium (Orthopi) — It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Ichthyosaurus (Azdyryth) — It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Labyrinthodont (Sithic) — A giant carnivorous amphibian. It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Mastodon (Maj) — It first appeared inTanar of Pellucidar.
Megacerops (identified by its synonymBrontotherium) — Pellucidarian name unknown.
Megaloceros — Pellucidarian name unknown. It first appeared inPellucidar.
Megatherium (Dyryth) — It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Pareiasaurus (Gorobor) — Giantlizard-like reptiles which serve as the Horibs' mode of transportation, as they are the fastest creatures in Pellucidar. They first appeared inTarzan at the Earth's Core.
Phorusrhacos (Dyal) — It first appeared inTarzan at the Earth's Core.
Plesiosaurus (Tandoraz,Ta-ho-az) — The two Pellucidarian names refer to large and small varieties. It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Pteranodon (Thipdar) — It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core. They are sometimes used as the pets and guard animals of the Mahars.
Pterodactylus (Thipdar) — It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Rhamphorhynchus (Mahar) — An oversized species of intelligentpterosaurs. It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Sharks — The sharks of Pellucidar are larger than normal sharks. It was never mentioned if these sharks are eitherMegalodon,Carcharodon hubbeli, or any other related prehistoric sharks.
Smilodon (Tarag) — It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Snakes — Venomous vipers which the characters use to make poisoned arrows. They first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Stegosaurus (Dyrodor) — A carnivorous variety that able to manipulate its back plates to allow it to glide (unlike a realStegosaurus).
Triceratops (Gyor) — An ill-tempered dinosaur. They are often hunted by Horibs.
Trodon — Pellucidarian name for a creature with no outer world equivalent. The Trodon aredragon-like flying reptiles with pouches similar to those of kangaroos. Not to be confused with theTroodon, an actual dinosaur. It first appeared inBack to the Stone Age where it carried Von Horst to its nest in the crater of a dead volcano.
Tyrannosaurus (Zarith) — The Tyrannosaurus are one of the dominant predators in Pellucidar. Von Horst and La-Ja encountered a juvenile specimen the Forest of Death, and was about to devour a Gorbus, a member of a weird, cruel, albino race. Von Horst was able to kill the beast. La-Ja informs him that adult zarith feed on the giant Bos, the aurochs, and on the mighty mammoth.
Whales (referred to as "Herbivorous Cetaceans" by Perry) — The whales of Pellucidar weigh around four to five pounds, are vegetarian and brightly colored, and reside in bodies of fresh water instead of salt water, as whales do in the outer world. They first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Woolly mammoth (Tandor) — It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core. Some woolly mammoths are used as mounts by a tribe of natives called the Mammoth Men.[8]
Woolly rhinoceros (Sadok) — It first appeared inAt the Earth's Core.
Pellucidar is also inhabited by enclaves of various non-human or semi-human races one of whom are the stone age humans of the inner world. Among the known races and tribes in Pellucidar are:
Ape-Men — A race of black-skinned creatures with prehensile tails, receding foreheads, long arms, and short legs who arearboreal in nature. They are known for domesticating goats and Hyaenodons.[5]
Azarians — A race of 7 ft. primitive man-eatinggiants with ugly faces and yellow tusk-like teeth.[9]
Beast-Men —Also called Brute-Men, see below.
Bison Men —Also known as Ganaks, see below.
Brute-Men — A peaceful 7 ft. race ofape-like farmers. They are also calledBeast-Men, and sometimes called "Gorilla-Sheep" for the sheep-like appearance of their faces which go with the bull-like neck and fangs of a gorilla.
Coripies — A subterranean race of 5 ft. eyelesscarrion-eaters. They are also known as theBuried People.[3]
Ganaks — A race of squat stocky humanoids with long brown hair, long horns, and tails with brushy tufts at the end; they are also called theBisonMen. Despite being herbivorous, the Ganaks sometimes capture humans and sacrifice them in a morbid ritual.[8]
Gilaks — A tribe of Pellucidarian humans with enhanced homing instincts that is on the level of theStone Age. They are sometimes slaves to the Mahars and their servants the Sagoths.
Gorbuses — A subterranean race of cannibalistic albinos with long white tusks, who are apparently resurrected surface-world serial killers that are confined here as their punishment.[8]
Horibs — A race of ferocious Cotylosaurus-ridingreptile men with snake-like heads, lizard-like bodies, pointed ears, and two sharp horns. The Horibs are known to hunt humans and Gyor (Triceratops).[4]
Jukans — An eccentric race of creatures who have short-cropped hairs and flabby mouths.
Korsars — A tribe of humans who are the descendants ofBarbary pirates. Their ancestors discovered Pellucidar and have been unable to travel back to the surface. They live in the kingdom of Korsar, which is across theSea of Korsar.
Mahars — The master race in Pellucidar who resemble humanoidRhamphorhynchus. They enslave the Stone Age Humans of Pellucidar with the help of their servants, the Sagoths. They are also deaf, but have developed a form of “musical” entertainment based on motion. Their guard animals are Pteranodons.[3][5][6]
Mammoth Men — A tribe of cave-dwelling natives who use woolly mammoths as their mounts. They reside in theJa-Ru region of Pellucidar.[8]
Manats — A tribe who live on one side of theIsland of Tandar and often fight with the Tandar.
Mezops — A race of seafaring islanders, fishermen, and hunters who are similar to the Native Americans.
Sabertooth Men — A race of cannibalistic black-skinned man-eating creatures with prehensile tails and dagger-like tusks. The Sabertooth Men live in a volcanic crater nearKali and have a monkey-like language.
Sagoths — The brown-furredgorilla-like servants of the Mahars who are lighter in build than a gorilla. Their language is similar to theMangani.[4][5][6]
Tandar — A tribe who live on theIsland of Tandar and often fight with the Manats.
Xexots — A tribe of yellow-skinned humans whose culture is based on theBronze Age. The Xexots reside in walled cities. The male and female Xexots wear nothing on their torsos. The children and other younger Xexots never wear clothes. Also, the priests are distinguished by their hideous masks and long leather robes.
John Eric Holmes'sMahars of Pellucidar was a sequel to Burroughs' Pellucidar novels authorized by the Burroughs estate. Publication of Holmes' follow-up novel,Red Axe of Pellucidar, reportedly ready for print in 1980, was reportedly blocked by the estate, and only saw print much later in a limited private edition.[10]
DC Comics published a comic book adaptation ofAt the Earth's Core that ran inKorak, Son of Tarzan #46, then moved toWeird Worlds #1–5, then continued with an adaptation ofPellucidar in #6–7. Another Pellucidar story appeared inTarzan Family #66. Dark Horse Comics reprinted this in trade paperback in 2017.
The 1996 pilot of the TV seriesTarzan: The Epic Adventures also features Pellucidar, as well as the character Jana from the novelTarzan at the Earth's Core. This story also features a race of Mahars who are able to transform into humanoid form. Also, in the 1996 novelization ofTarzan: The Epic Adventures byR. A. Salvatore, based on the teleplay for the pilot of the series, Pellucidar is featured in the later part of the story. The story is inspired byThe Return of Tarzan andTarzan at the Earth's Core.
Pellucidar appears in a few episodes of theDisney cartoon seriesThe Legend of Tarzan, loosely inspired byTarzan at the Earth's Core. In the show, however, Pellucidar is merely described as being a region below Africa where dinosaurs still live. None of the characteristics of it described in the novels are seen and the Mahars, Sagoths, Horibs, prehistoric mammals, stone age humans, and characters are not seen in this version of the inner world. In the episode "Tarzan and the Hidden World", Tarzan leads Professor Porter into Pellucidar so he can become famous before his rival, Professor Philander, who has also arrived in Africa. Professor Porter accidentally steals an egg from aT-rex and the dinosaur retaliates by chasing them. Philander's photographic proof of Pellucidar is ruined by a monkey who took photos with his camera. Pellucidar is mentioned again in "Tarzan and the Beast from Below". The episode revolves around someVelociraptors which escaped from Pellucidar and scare Terk.
Pellucidar is revisited by Tarzan and is the central location of the Dark Horse Comics crossoverTarzan vs. Predator: At the Earth's Core, where Tarzan faces off against the alienPredators in Pellucidar.
Pellucidar was the major inspiration forLin Carter'sZanthodon novels of the late 1970s and early 1980s, set in the vast cavern of Zanthodon beneath theSahara desert.[13]
TheHollow Earth milieu ofSkartaris in theWarlord series of comic books byMike Grell, published from 1976 to 1989, is essentially a translation of Pellucidar into the graphic medium, with the admixture ofmagic and elements of theAtlantis myth.[14]
The Hollow World of the fictionalDungeons & Dragons setting ofMystara shares many concepts from Pellucidar, such as the polar openings, the central sun, the floating moons, and the primitive cultures living in the internal surface.
InJames Blaylock'sThe Digging Leviathan (1984), a pair of rival scientific teams compete to reach Pellucidar. However, the story concludes before their goal is attained.[16] Blaylock'sZeuglodon revisits the Pellucidar theme, when a group of children attempt to rescue Giles Peach, one of the characters traveling to Pellucidar in The Digging Leviathan.
InJohn Crowley'sLittle, Big (1981), a drug named Pellucidar is mentioned and appears to have an exhilarating and even aphrodisiac effect.[citation needed]
During the initial explorations ofLechuguilla Cave in the late 1980s, a chamber was named "Pellucidar" in honor of these stories.[18]
TheHollow Earth concept was used byVladimir Obruchev in his novelPlutonia, published in 1924, also inhabited by ancient life forms. Due to his scientific and geology career, Obruchev was not a fan of the Hollow Earth concept. However, Obruchev did use his novel to describe Pleistocene, Jurassic, and Carboniferous fauna.
Official site from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., Tarzana, California
von Horst's Pellucidar — Articles, book summaries, publishing histories, pastiches, glossary, languages, maps, hollow Earth theory, and film and TV reviews by Pellucidar scholar David Critchfield.
