This paper will focus on investigating the language of the Cenobites in the film Hellraiser (Clive Barker, 1987). Theories will be presented as to why these hell-sent creatures speak in the special way they do. How does this characteristic language affect the atmosphere in the film, and what purpose does it serve?

Summary of the Plot in Hellraiser

A man (Frank Cotton) buys a mystical box at a marketplace in China and discovers that it is a tool to open a passageway between our world and hell. Through this passageway, uninvited guests arrive, angels from Hell called Cenobites. The leader of these creatures is a man in a black leather coat with pins sticking out of his face and head. In the sequel to Hellraiser, Hellbound - Hellraiser II, this Cenobite is given the name "Pinhead", which is the name I will use when referring to him in this paper.

Cenobite - A member of a religious order living in a community; opposed to an anchoret, who lives in solitude (Oxford English Dictionary).

"Pinhead" (Cenobite)

The picture (modified) is taken from http://www.geocities.com/cenobitehellraiser/ceno1.html

The Language of the Cenobites

The Cenobites speak in a way that is quite different to the way most "ordinary" people speak. It is very interesting to note that the Cenobites are quite calm and usually just stand around doing nothing at all. A typical film-monster usually confronts and attacks its victims, but the Cenobites tend to scare the audience just by being present. I think this effect is largely achieved by assigning a very special type of language to the Cenobites. They frighten us partly by the way they look, but also by the way they verbally express themselves.

I will divide the language and speech of the Cenobites into three categories and analyse each category.

Vocabulary

The Cenobites speak in a manner reminiscent of old English kings or poets. The words used are very dramatic, not necessarily old-fashioned, but certainly very formal. I suppose this type of language has been assigned to the Cenobites to underline the fact that they are not of our world, that they do not belong in our time. This kingly language also serves to elevate the Cenobites, making them more powerful and creates a verbal barrier between themselves and the rest of the characters in the film.

Example: "Bearable isn't it? The suffering of strangers, the agony of friends..."

Rhythm

The Cenobites speak in a very monotonous way (mostly). The rhythm of the speech is quite slow and flows very smoothly. What I find most interesting about this is that this rhythmic and monotonous speech pattern seems almost hypnotic. Although the Cenobites never speak for any length of time, the few longer sentences that are uttered (by Pinhead), are very striking in terms of rhythm and flow.

Example: "This isn't for your eyes..."

Intonation and Pitch

The Cenobites' voices are quite similar to a generic human voice, although they tend to vary quite a lot depending on the situation. Pinhead does most of the talking, and his voice is usually quite calm, but authoritative. When he is under pressure, or when he is trying to force someone into doing something, his voice sharpens and rises in pitch. Most of the time though, the voices of the Cenobites are dark and compelling, natural yet unnatural.

Example: "There is a world out there waiting to yield to us..."

"Chatterer" (Cenobite)

The picture (modified) is taken from http://www.geocities.com/cenobitehellraiser/ceno1.html

Why Use Language to Express Power?

All in all, I think it would be correct to state that the most important purpose that the "odd" language of the Cenobites serves is to alienate them from our world and make them more powerful.

The question is why Clive Barker has chosen to assign power to the Cenobites by giving them a "mighty" and "god-like" language, instead of letting them showcase their power through physical acts of violence. I think this is mainly because Barker wants the Cenobites to appear in a certain way. They are not meant to be crazed killers running around slaughtering people, they are meant to be highly intelligent and controlled individuals possessing controlled evil, which to most people make them even more scary.

"Butterball" (Cenobite)

The picture (modified) is taken from http://www.geocities.com/cenobitehellraiser/ceno1.html

Conclusion

I would like to conclude this paper by referring to a passage in the book Sociolinguistics, by Peter Trudgill.

"Whenever we speak, we cannot avoid giving our listeners clues about our origins and the sort of person we are. Our accent and our speech generally show where we come from and what sort of background we have. We may even give some indication of certain of our ideas and attitudes, and all of this information can be used by the people we are speaking with to to help them formulate an opinion about us." (1)

This is the reason why the language of the Cenobites is so striking. It tells the story of the Cenobites in a very subtle, yet effective way. The information given is not detailed, but clear enough to make us understand that the Cenobites are not of our world nor our time, and most importantly, the style and vocabulary of the language is almost subconsciously associated with power.

REFERENCES

1 - Sociolinguistics - Peter Trudgill, p. 2



John Hübinette