The Sacred Writings
Sherlock Holmes is a character created by Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle (1859-1930). The first story that introduced Sherlock
Holmes was the novel, A Study in Scarlet (STUD), published
in 1887 in Beeton's Christmas Annual. Following the
novel's growing popularity, Conan Doyle wrote a total of four novels
and fifty-six short-stories, specifying the series as the Canon (always
capitalised), or more exclusively as the Sacred Writings.
Suggested by famed Sherlockian scholar, Jay Finely
Christ (rhymes with "list"), the Christ & Co.
Codes are four-letter, short-hand designations named for
each of the original Sacred Writings, written by Conan Doyle:
Sidney Paget (1860-1908) is the most famous Sherlock Holmes illustrator,
producing over 357 illustrations for the British periodical, the Strand
Magazine, using his younger brother, Walter, as a model for the
detective. Frederic Dorr Steele (1874-1944) produced sixteen
illustrations for the stories in the American periodical, Collier's
Weekly, using the most famous Holmes actor at the time, William
Gillette, as his model.
The Titus Canon
Award-winning author Eve Titus (1922-2002) created
a children's book series, illustrated by Paul Galdone, about the "Sherlock
Holmes of the Mouse-World," Basil of Baker Street, specifying
the series as the Titus Canon:
Basil of Baker Street (BAKE)
Basil and the Lost Colony (LOST)
Basil and the Pygmy Cats (PYGM)
Basil in Mexico (MEXI)
Basil in the Wild West (WILD)
Walt Disney Pictures' 26th animated feature film:
The Great Mouse Detective (TGMD, or most commonly
as GMD)
"A singular set of people, Watson..."
Some famous characters from the Sacred Writings include:
Sherlock Holmes is, of course, the most recognised
character from the writings. An eccentric gentleman who pursued
a unique profession as the "world's first unofficial consulting
detective," using a process of unconventional, logical deduction
and reasoning; the character was modelled after Conan Doyle's old
Edinburgh University professor, Dr. Joseph Bell, M.D, J.P, D.L,
F.R.C.S. Ed. His other nicknames include "S.H,"
"the Great Detective" and, by the most devoted, "the
Master." He is the equivalent to Basil of Baker Street
(whose full is Sherringford Basil).
John H. Watson, M.D, is Holmes' roommate, friend,
and biographer. Nearly all the canonical tales are
seen through the eyes of Watson. Contrary to popular belief,
it is wrong to say Watson was an "bumbling idiot"; he
was kind, considerate, tolerant, loyal, and clever in his own right.
He served in the British Army during the Second Anglo-Afghan War
(1843-1880) and had a bullet injury in either the shoulder, or the
leg, or perhaps both; he had been married, at least, twice.
He is the equivalent to David Q. Dawson, M.D.
Mycroft Holmes (GREE, FINA, BRUC), Sherlock's
older (arguably, smarter) brother, seven years his senior, is among
one of the most compelling characters from the Sacred Writings.
He is the founding member of the Diogenes Club, a mysterious London
club where the members are not allowed to speak; he holds an equally
mysterious occupation in the British Government. Mycroft is
lazier than the younger Sherlock. He is the equivalent to
Diane N. Tran's Myerricroft Basil.
Professor James Moriarty (FINA,
EMPT, VALL) is known as "Napoleon of Crime" and is Holmes'
arch-nemesis who, according to Holmes, was a crime lord responsible
for most of the organised crime in London. Though his name
is synonymous of evil, Moriarty never appeared but was mentioned
through second-hand allusions from others in the Sacred Writings.
He supposedly died by falling off the cliffs of the Reichenbach
Falls, Switzerland, after battling Holmes. He is the equivalent
to Professor Ratigan (MEXI, WILD, TGMD).
Colonel Sebastian Moran (EMPT) is Moriarty's second-in-command
and a big-game hunter who served in the British Army at India.
Seeking revenge for Moriarty's death, Moran attempted to assassinate
Holmes; he is considered, by Holmes, as "the second most dangerous
man in London." He is the equivalent to Eve Titus' Captain
Doran (PYGM, MEXI).
Irene Adler (SCAN) is the famous
American opera singer, actress, and adventuress; she was one of
only four persons to have ever outwitted Holmes and the only female
to have done so! Because of her beauty and cunning, Holmes
developed a reverence for her that he did for no other woman, referring
to her honourably as "the Woman." She is
the equivalent to Eve Titus' Mademoiselle Relda
(PYGM, LOST), which is "Adler" spelled backwards.
Inspector G. Lestrade (STUD, BOSC,
NOBL, HOUN, EMPT, NORW, CHAS, SIXN, SECO, CARD, BRUC, LADY, 3GAR)
is Holmes' Scotland Yard contemporary and appears frequently in
the Sacred Writings. Contrary to his Keystone Kops-like
stereotype, he was an intelligent, capable, diligent man, referred
to by Holmes as "the best of the professionals," but he
lacked imagination and was usually out of his depth. He is
(possibly) the equivalent to Eve Titus' Inspector Vole
(BAKE) and Diane N. Tran's Chief Inspector Vole.
Inspector Tobias Gregson (STUD, SIGN, GREE, WIST,
REDC) is Holmes' Scotland Yard contemporary and Lestrade's professional
rival. Holmes considered him to be "the smartest of the
Scotland Yarders," but was far too conventional in his methods,
and yet he commended his bravery. He is the equivalent to
Diane N. Tran's Chief Inspector Greyson.
Inspector Stanley Hopkins (BLAC, GOLD, MISS, ABBE)
is a young inspector and student of Holmes' deductive methods, in
which he attempts to apply them in his own investigations.
Holmes "has high hopes for his career." He is the
equivalent to Diane N. Tran's Detective Inspector Clawes.
Mrs. Hudson is the landlady of
221B Baker Street whom Holmes and Watson rent rooms from (referred
numerically as 'Two-Twenty-One'); though it is not in her apparent
job subscription, the "Scotswoman" also cleans, cooks,
and answers orders for them. She is the equivalent to Mrs.
Judson (BAKE, TGMD)
The Baker Street Irregulars (STUD,
SIGN, CROO) were a band of young street urchins, recruited by Holmes
to assist him in his cases. They are the equivalent to Eve
Titus' Panadero Calle Irregulars (MEXI) and the
equivalent to Diane N. Tran's Baker Street Irregulars.
Toby (SIGN) is a long-haired, lop-eared, brown-and-white
half-spaniel and half-lurcher, with a very clumsy, waddling gait
and a remarkable sense of smell. He is owned by the elderly
Mr. Sherman; Holmes "borrows" the dog for various cases.
He is the equivalent to the basset hound star of the same name from
the film, The Great Mouse Detective.
"Cut out the poetry, Watson..."
Arguably, the most famous catch-phrase in the world
of Sherlock Holmes is "Elementary, my dear Watson,"
however Holmes never uttered it throughout the Sacred Writings.
The particular misquote was constructed by William Gillette (1853-1937),
the first famous Holmes actor, from his play, Sherlock Holmes
– A Drama in Four Acts, combining two quotes: "It
is very superficial, my dear Watson, I assure you" (CARD) and
"Elementary" (CROO, without an attachment). The best
known user of the catch-phrase is the actor Basil Rathbone.
The expression "The game's afoot,"
unlike the previous maxim, was actually uttered by Holmes in ABBE,
although Conan Doyle never intended it to be a catch-phrase.
"In his didactic fashion..."
The most identifiable aspect of Sherlock Holmes is
his costume:
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle describes Holmes wearing "his long grey
travelling-cloak and close-fitting cloth cap" in the BOSC.
However, it was Sidney Paget, the illustrator of the story in the
Strand Magazine, who incorporated the deerstalker (fore-and-aft) cap
and Inverness cloak. And he continued using the deerstalker
and Inverness in SILV, PRIO, and FINA. Paget, in fact, enjoyed
wearing these items when he travelled to the country. (The fashion-conscious
Holmes would never commit such a faux pas to wear the deerstalker
and Inverness in the city setting, as many uninformed depictions have
done. These are traditionally for a rural outdoorsman, not the
appropriate headgear for the properly-dressed urban gentleman.)
The actor William Gillette, best known in his day
for embodying the celebrated character of Sherlock Holmes, imposed
his cachet forever on the character's stereotype — deerstalker,
Inverness, curved pipe, and the phrase, "Elementary, my dear
Watson." The large curved pipe, known as a calabash and/or
meerschaum, was never written in Sacred Writings, but Gillette had
an easier time delivering his lines with a curved pipe, by clamping
it between his teeth, than with a straight one.
"It is a hobby of mine..."
The terms Sherlockian and Holmesian
are commonly used among fans:
Adjective: Describing anything that pertains to Sherlock
Holmes
Noun: A devoted fan and/or hobbyist of the Sacred Writings
The British use the term "Holmesian," as
they address one another by their surname rather than their first.
Outside Britain, the term "Sherlockian" is used, for example
"There is a Sherlockian society in Brazil." (It is "bad
form" to address a Sherlockian (non-Britain) as a Holmesian,
and vice versa.)
For the GMD world, the term Basilian
is used to describe fans and all things pertaining to the Titus Canon
and the film, the Great Mouse Detective. The term was
"unofficially" coined by Diane N. Tran.
The term Sherlockiana is memorabilia
associated with Sherlock Holmes, such as garments, books, posters,
statues, journals, etc. The term Doylana is
memorabilia associated with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, such as
biographies and his other literary works (outside from Sherlock Holmes).
The term Basiliana, of course, is Basilian memorabilia,
again coined by Diane N. Tran.
"Play the game for the game's own sake..."
The Game, as it is entitled, is
an intellectual game played Sherlockians and Holmesians, under the
assumption that the Sacred Writings is the gospel truth — where
all the characters were real, where all the events actually happened,
collaborating them with historical fact — and that Conan Doyle
was merely "the Literary Agent" acting for the real-life
Dr. John H. Watson.
"Look upon you as a man of letters..."
The concept of "pastiches" is no stranger
to the Sherlockian world:
Pastiches are stories that imitate the original writing
style; it's fiction that resembles the original author's style, mimicking
Conan Doyle and Titus. They remain as loyal as possible to the
original concepts, designs of the characters, and historical settings,
playing with "the Game" faithfully as possible.
"Vox populei..."
There are many, many societies where Sherlockians
and Holmesians meet, communicate, and express their mutual interest
and devotion to Sherlock Holmes, such as the Baker Street Irregulars
of New York, the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, the Danish Baker
Street Irregulars, the Northern Musgraves, the Franco-Midland Hardware
Company, the Japan Sherlock Holmes Society (the largest in the world
with over 24,000 members), etc.
"Scion" societies are groups "sanctioned" by
more prestigious parent societies, for example the Danish Baker Street
Irregulars has two scion societies — the Cimbrian Friends of
Baker Street and the Copenhagen Speckled Gang. (It is "bad
form" to refer a group as "scion" unless proper, formal
authorisation has been bestowed.)