I was reading an article today which made reference to a review in the Lone Star Times of a school play with an environmental theme, in which the reviewer commented that the play featured a gag in which the light in Rudolph’s nose was replaced with an LED to save electricity, “forgetting that the original was lit by an inner light of love that did not use power at all.”
I had never heard anything about love being the source of Rudolph’s light. I’ve never read the original rhyming story Robert May wrote for Montgomery Ward (has it ever been reprinted?), but the Johnny Marks song comments that Rudolph “had a very shiny nose”- so shiny, in fact, that “if you ever saw it, you might even say it glows.” Thinking about this line, I came to the conclusion that despite his depiction in the 1964 special, Rudolph’s nose- at least based on the song lyrics- does not actually glow, but is rather so red and shiny that it gives off the appearance of a glowing light.
Is Rudolph’s nose really meant to light up? If so, how is it powered? Love? Batteries? Christmas magic?
The respiratory membranes of Rudolph’s nasal concha provide a uniquely hospitable environment for a rare species of bioluminescent single-celled algae, otherwise found only as a symbiote of certain Arctic lichen.
It’s a pretty good answer, yes, but 2005 saw a more comprehensive explanation, that covered the high-pitched squeal, as well, and might even have explained his ability to fly (although it doesn’t address the fact that the gift was also posessed by reindeer without red noses).
The explanation encompasses twoposts, and I feel that it is probably more accurate than Terrifel’s (sorry, guy, no offense).
In deference to Marks, I dismiss the algea hypothesis and submit that Rudolph’s nose was simply red and very, very shiny. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows. But it’s just an illusion of the reflecting starlight.
So then how is it helpful in the nighttime fog when Santa needs it? If there’s no light for the nose to reflect, it’s not going to do any good as a guiding beacon.
In the Rankin-Bass universe, Rudolph was born with a simple red nose. A woman named Lady Boreal (who has magical powers somehow) gives Rudolph’s nose the power to glow when he is still a baby. It will continue to glow for the rest of his life so long as he uses the power for good.
This was from Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (the video ishere, at about 2:50).
Cheech and Chong explained it quite clearly in Santa Claus and His Old Lady. Although the explanation is for reindeer flight, it doubles as a glowing nose explanation:
Oh, well, man, he had some magic dust, man.
TC: Some magic dust?
CM: Yeah, magic dust, y’know? He used ta give a little bit to da reindeer, a
little bit to Santa Claus, a little bit more for Santa Claus, a little
bit more…
Options–pick any. Pick two, if you are a Marvel editor.
[ul]
[li]Rudolph is radioactive.[/li][li]Rudolph has been snorting Xmas tree lights.[/li][li]Rudolph is a mutant, & will soon join the X-Men. This is why we used the abbreviation “Xmas”.[/li][li]Skynet has sent him from the future to [del]kill John Connor[/del] steal Christmas.[/li][/ul]
