Star Wars: The Magic of Myth at the Smithsonian

The look of Star Wars -- its costumes, props, and sets - reflects the same eclectic mix of cultural, historical, and mythical sources that gives the story its rich texture. Working with concept artists Ralph McQuarrie, visual effects art director Joe Johnston, and costume designers John Mollo, Nilo Rodis-Jamero, and Aggie Guerard Rodgers, as well as a team of other artists and craftspeople, George Lucas created a universe that has the look and feel of myth.

To ensure that Star Wars had the look and feel of "a long time ago," Lucas asked production crews to rub dirt on the shiny new hardware and sets so that they would have a used, lived-in look.

He also placed the action in ancient temples, such as the Rebel headquarters at the close of the first film.

The uniforms and weapons, as we will see, were often based on those from some past era. For example, when John Mollo needed to create a mock-up for Darth Vader from the costume stock held at a costume warehouse in England, he grabbed a Roman helmet from the "military room," a plague mask from the "medieval room," and a monk's robes from the "religious room."

Similarly, some of the historical items that actually appear in Star Wars seem to have been pulled from the racks of the costume warehouse for their sheer visual effect.

When the droids arrive at the Lars homestead, one of the Jawas is wearing a collar of charges nicknamed "the twelve Apostles." Dating from about 1645 in England, this bandolier held a matchlock musketeer's personal supply of ammunition.

The Tusken Raider who knocks Luke down in the Jundland Wastes uses a totokia, an ancient Fijian war club of the "pineapple type," so called because of the decorative head with its distinctive point.

The design of Lando's skiff guard weapon is based on a lochaber, a form of pole arm used by Scottish troops from the fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries.

Whether or not the viewer actually recognizes any of these specific items, these elements combine to create a subconscious sense of a time long past.

Darth Vader's Helmet

Darth Vader's costume design drew inspiration from the past, including such influences as military helmets and religious robes.

George Lucas told Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie that he wanted Darth Vader to look like "a dark lord riding in the wind" with black flowing robes, a large helmet like that of the Japanese samurai, and a silk mask covering his face. McQuarrie came up with a breath mask, since the dark lord was, after all, living in space, and Lucas accepted this modification.

Rebel Temple Base

On the jungled fourth moon of Yavin, Rebel troops hid their secret base within the depths of a vast ancient temple. Artist Ralph McQuarrie felt that this Aztec-like ruin might be made of large, unthinkably dense stones with the property of minimizing gravity. The lights of small fighter spacecraft are visible deep within the structure.

Although budget constraints argued otherwise, George Lucas insisted on filming exteriors of the Massasi Rebel Base amongst the real Mayan ruins at the spectacular site of Tikal in Guatemala. This kind of authenticity in the film making, like the use of Tunisian desert sites for the planet Tatooine, grounded Star Wars in an exotic but convincing environment.

Lando's Vibro-Ax

Ominous pole arms, like this Scottish lochaber, were used for hundreds of years as both stabbing and slashing weapons. To bring these into the realm of Star Wars, elements of technology were added, electrically "powering up" the weapons. This principle applies elsewhere in Star Wars, as with the lightsabers which are "powered up" versions of metal swords.

Tusken Raider Gaffi Stick

The traditional terror weapon of Tatooine's desert Sand People (or Tusken Raiders) is the dreaded gaderiffi, or gaffi stick. This deadly, axe-like weapon is fashioned from metal scavenged from wrecked or abandoned vehicles and spaceships that end up in the Tatooine wastes.

A variety of war club designs were traditionally used in the South Pacific islands. The hooked end of the Tusken Raider's stick is a very close copy of this Fijian totokia.