Tengil

Infobox character
colour = #FFFFFF
name = Tengil


caption = Tengil, as seen in "The Brothers Lionheart" 1977 movie
first = "The Brothers Lionheart"
species = Human
gender = Male
occupation = Dictator
title = Knight of Karmanjaka
portrayer = Georg Årlin
creator = Astrid Lindgren

Tengil is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "The Brothers Lionheart", a Swedish children's novel by Astrid Lindgren.

Tengil is the evil ruler of the paradise-like land of Nangijala. He resides in his own land of Karmanjaka, from which he oppresses the people of Nangijala and forces them to build a fortress for him. Tengil's power relies on his army of soldiers, the Black Riders, and Katla the dragon, which he controls with a magical lur. His soldiers execute any who are seen resisting Tengil's rule, but there is still a small resistance formed in Cherry Valley. By the end of the book, Tengil duels Jonathan Lionheart, one of the protagonists, but loses and is killed by Katla. Before this, the nordic name was used by J. R. R. Tolkien as Thengel in "The Lord of the Rings".

Adaptations

In the 1977 film adaptation of the novel, Tengil is played by actor Georg Årlin. He wears a black cape and helmet with a purple plume, and has a red flame symbol on his chest. Swedish critics have compared Årlin's portrayal of Tengil to contemporary figures such as Hitler, Stalin, Pinochet, Richard Nixon and Saddam Hussein. [cite journal
last = Holmlund
first = Christine
title = Pippi and Her Pals
journal = Cinema Journal
volume = 42.2
issue = Winter 2003
pages = 14
date = 2003]

References