Post by GRWelsh on Mar 21, 2016 12:21:55 GMT -5
Evidently, there was a short summary Lucas wrote around or after filming American Graffiti, and it was the kernel of what would later become Star Wars. It was a two page summary called “The Journal of the Whills.” The book Star Wars: Year by Year includes a reproduction of the entire first page of the 1973 Journal of the Whills story fragment:
Journal of the Whills
I
This is the story of Mace Windy, a revered Jedi-bendu of Ophuchi, as related to us by C.J. Thorpe, padawaan learner to the famed Jedi.
I am Chuiee Two Thorpe of Kissel. My father is Han Dardell Thorpe, chief pilot of the renown galactic cruiser Tarnack. As a family we were not rich, except in honor, and valuing this above all mundane possessions, I chose the profession of my father, rather than a more profitable career. I was 16, I believe, and pilot of the trawler Balmung, when my ambitions demanded that I enter the exalted Intersystems Academy to train as a potential Jedi-Templer. It is here that I became padawaan learner to the great Mace Windy, highest of all the Jedi-bendu masters, and at that time, Warlord to the Chairman of the Alliance of Independent Systems.
Never shall I forget the occasion upon which I first set eyes upon Mace Windy. It was at the great feast of the Pleabs. There were gathered under one roof, the most powerful warriors in the Galaxy, and although I realize my adoration of the Master might easily influence my memory, when he entered the hall, these great and noble warlords fell silent. It was said he was the most gifted and powerful man in the Independent Systems. Some felt he was even more powerful than the Imperial leader of the Galactic Empire.
From the Star Wars Wikia, under the entry for “Journal of the Whills”:
The Journal of the Whills was a legendary record of events in the galaxy. Ostensibly, the Journal was maintained by the Ancient Order of the Whills, a mysterious group of beings.
During the Galactic Civil War, some individuals wished their efforts be recorded in the Journal of the Whills, indicating it was an on-going recording of the history, widely known as a tradition to the inhabitants of the Galaxy. The recording of their names and efforts in the Journal signaled their importance to the history, hence honorary.
The events surrounding the life of several members of the Skywalker family were recorded in the Journal by a Keeper of the Whills, after an interview with the Astromech droid R2-D2 one hundred years after the Battle of Endor.[1]
The inclusion of a brief overview of the fall of the Galactic Republic and the rise of Palpatine's New Order in the Journal's First Saga established that the Journal’s beginning included at least the Clone Wars, though how far backwards or forwards in history the Journal’s first segment covered was unknown.
As well as not having a clear beginning, the style of the Journal is inconsistent. Whereas the First Saga is expository, written in the past tense with a third person perspective, another known excerpt, from early script drafts, is written in a formatted poetic style reminiscent of many religious texts. The excerpt reads as follows:
"... And in the time of greatest
despair there shall come a savior,
and he shall be known as:
THE SON OF THE SUNS."
Journal of the Whills, 3:127
Although it has never been confirmed, it is possible that this excerpt deals with the Prophecy of the Chosen One seeing as that it does seem to make what could be considered references to Anakin Skywalker, though it could just as easily be referring to his son. The numeric reference is important as it indicates a possible chapter and verse from which the excerpt is taken. The style of the excerpt is also written in the future tense with a prophetic tone, a clear difference from the larger excerpt from the First Saga. However, the First Saga excerpt does indicate that some form of poetic style may be consistent throughout the Journal, as it states:
"The Old Republic was the Republic of legend, greater than distance or time. No need to note where it was or whence it came, only to know that... it was the Republic."
In his early drafts, George Lucas ostensibly planned to use the Journal of the Whills as a plot device to connect the Star Wars galaxy to our own. In Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, Lucas explains his original intent:
"Originally, I was trying to have the story be told by somebody else; there was somebody watching this whole story and recording it, somebody probably wiser than the mortal players in the actual events. I eventually dropped this idea, and the concept behind the Whills turned into the Force. But the Whills became part of this massive amount of notes, quotes, background information that I used for the scripts; the stories were actually taken from the 'Journal of the Whills'."
In 2005's The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, Lucas intimates that he intended the stories told in his films to be relayed to a Keeper of the Whills by R2-D2, who would record them in the Journal.
And from the Star Wars Wikipia, under the entry for “Ancient Order of the Whills”:
In early drafts of A New Hope, the name 'Whills' is equivalent to the Force.
"Originally, I was trying to have the story be told by somebody else (an immortal being known as a Whill); there was somebody watching this whole story and recording it, somebody probably wiser than the mortal players in the actual events. I eventually dropped this idea, and the concepts behind the Whills turned into the Force. But the Whills became part of this massive amount of notes, quotes, background information that I used for the scripts; the stories were actually taken from the Journal of the Whills."
―George Lucas[src]
It is a common misconception that "Whill" is the name of the unknown species of Yoda. George Lucas has firmly denied this. Because their form is totally unknown, and since the Whills were an early concept of the Force, some fans have speculated that the Whills are of spiritual substance more or less like Wisties and probably immortal. However, this is unlikely to be true, as Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith: Illustrated Screenplay and The Art of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith both have Qui-Gon Jinn stating that he knew of only one Shaman who had achieved immortality. However, Qui-Gon also states in the Revenge of the Sith novelization that immortality is a possible end-result for working with the Whills' teachings.
Journal of the Whills
I
This is the story of Mace Windy, a revered Jedi-bendu of Ophuchi, as related to us by C.J. Thorpe, padawaan learner to the famed Jedi.
I am Chuiee Two Thorpe of Kissel. My father is Han Dardell Thorpe, chief pilot of the renown galactic cruiser Tarnack. As a family we were not rich, except in honor, and valuing this above all mundane possessions, I chose the profession of my father, rather than a more profitable career. I was 16, I believe, and pilot of the trawler Balmung, when my ambitions demanded that I enter the exalted Intersystems Academy to train as a potential Jedi-Templer. It is here that I became padawaan learner to the great Mace Windy, highest of all the Jedi-bendu masters, and at that time, Warlord to the Chairman of the Alliance of Independent Systems.
Never shall I forget the occasion upon which I first set eyes upon Mace Windy. It was at the great feast of the Pleabs. There were gathered under one roof, the most powerful warriors in the Galaxy, and although I realize my adoration of the Master might easily influence my memory, when he entered the hall, these great and noble warlords fell silent. It was said he was the most gifted and powerful man in the Independent Systems. Some felt he was even more powerful than the Imperial leader of the Galactic Empire.
From the Star Wars Wikia, under the entry for “Journal of the Whills”:
The Journal of the Whills was a legendary record of events in the galaxy. Ostensibly, the Journal was maintained by the Ancient Order of the Whills, a mysterious group of beings.
During the Galactic Civil War, some individuals wished their efforts be recorded in the Journal of the Whills, indicating it was an on-going recording of the history, widely known as a tradition to the inhabitants of the Galaxy. The recording of their names and efforts in the Journal signaled their importance to the history, hence honorary.
The events surrounding the life of several members of the Skywalker family were recorded in the Journal by a Keeper of the Whills, after an interview with the Astromech droid R2-D2 one hundred years after the Battle of Endor.[1]
The inclusion of a brief overview of the fall of the Galactic Republic and the rise of Palpatine's New Order in the Journal's First Saga established that the Journal’s beginning included at least the Clone Wars, though how far backwards or forwards in history the Journal’s first segment covered was unknown.
As well as not having a clear beginning, the style of the Journal is inconsistent. Whereas the First Saga is expository, written in the past tense with a third person perspective, another known excerpt, from early script drafts, is written in a formatted poetic style reminiscent of many religious texts. The excerpt reads as follows:
"... And in the time of greatest
despair there shall come a savior,
and he shall be known as:
THE SON OF THE SUNS."
Journal of the Whills, 3:127
Although it has never been confirmed, it is possible that this excerpt deals with the Prophecy of the Chosen One seeing as that it does seem to make what could be considered references to Anakin Skywalker, though it could just as easily be referring to his son. The numeric reference is important as it indicates a possible chapter and verse from which the excerpt is taken. The style of the excerpt is also written in the future tense with a prophetic tone, a clear difference from the larger excerpt from the First Saga. However, the First Saga excerpt does indicate that some form of poetic style may be consistent throughout the Journal, as it states:
"The Old Republic was the Republic of legend, greater than distance or time. No need to note where it was or whence it came, only to know that... it was the Republic."
In his early drafts, George Lucas ostensibly planned to use the Journal of the Whills as a plot device to connect the Star Wars galaxy to our own. In Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, Lucas explains his original intent:
"Originally, I was trying to have the story be told by somebody else; there was somebody watching this whole story and recording it, somebody probably wiser than the mortal players in the actual events. I eventually dropped this idea, and the concept behind the Whills turned into the Force. But the Whills became part of this massive amount of notes, quotes, background information that I used for the scripts; the stories were actually taken from the 'Journal of the Whills'."
In 2005's The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, Lucas intimates that he intended the stories told in his films to be relayed to a Keeper of the Whills by R2-D2, who would record them in the Journal.
And from the Star Wars Wikipia, under the entry for “Ancient Order of the Whills”:
In early drafts of A New Hope, the name 'Whills' is equivalent to the Force.
"Originally, I was trying to have the story be told by somebody else (an immortal being known as a Whill); there was somebody watching this whole story and recording it, somebody probably wiser than the mortal players in the actual events. I eventually dropped this idea, and the concepts behind the Whills turned into the Force. But the Whills became part of this massive amount of notes, quotes, background information that I used for the scripts; the stories were actually taken from the Journal of the Whills."
―George Lucas[src]
It is a common misconception that "Whill" is the name of the unknown species of Yoda. George Lucas has firmly denied this. Because their form is totally unknown, and since the Whills were an early concept of the Force, some fans have speculated that the Whills are of spiritual substance more or less like Wisties and probably immortal. However, this is unlikely to be true, as Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith: Illustrated Screenplay and The Art of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith both have Qui-Gon Jinn stating that he knew of only one Shaman who had achieved immortality. However, Qui-Gon also states in the Revenge of the Sith novelization that immortality is a possible end-result for working with the Whills' teachings.