History Main / OracularHead

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/MightyMorphinPowerRangersBoomStudios https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/power_rangers_comic_zordon.png]]]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/Disenchantment'', where there is a character in the freak show who appears to be one [[Spoiler: except that she has a body, just hidden in the cabinet her "severed" head rests on]]

** ''Literature/MakingMoney'' introduces Unseen University's Department of [[InsistentTerminology Post-Mortem Communications]], which includes a talking skull named Charlie (who brags that he's "[[JustForPun the backbone]] of the department").

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Literature/TheSkullOfTruth'': The protagonist finds an oracular skull named Yorick in TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday.

** ''Literature/TheScienceOfDiscworldIITheGlobe'': It's mentioned in passing that the Dean keeps a skull in his office that sings comical songs.

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[[caption-width-right:320:Report to the command center, immediately!]]

* In ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', [[spoiler:Lordgenome]] gets his head resurrected and hooked to life support by post-TimeSkip [[spoiler:Rossiu]], who wants to regain full access to his knowledge this way.
* {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''Anime/{{Texhnolyze}}'' with [[spoiler:Ran]], who ends up in this state but refuses to divine anything to [[spoiler:Kano]].

* In ''ComicBook/{{Valhalla}}'', the decapitated but still-living head of Mimir is a recurring side character; he's a bit of a grouch and Odin's eternal [[SmartPeoplePlayChess chess partner]]. In most of the stories he tends to win the chess games (or is about to), although Odin frequently cheats.
* ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'': Deadman has a talking skull head.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Azrael}}'', the Order of St Dumas had a brazen head that was supposedly St Dumas himself, preserved to share his wisdom. Which was mostly spewing misogyny at Sister Lilhy and telling Az how useless he was. A marginally more useful version appears in the ''ComicBook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'' annual, where it's just called the Oracle.

* The adaptation of ''Film/HarryPotter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' featured a ShrunkenHead who was apparently the navigator of the Knight Bus, giving directions to the driver and making smart remarks. He [[CanonForeigner isn't mentioned in the books]], but J.K. Rowling [[CreatorPreferredAdaptation has said she wished she'd thought of it]].

* ''Film/RolliAmazingTales'': The Great Trash, the deity worshipped by the evil Trashers, is a giant plumpish head that resides in the Trashers' underground lair. He doesn't speak much beyond his hammy VillainSong, but he converts people into Trashers by vomiting on them.

* Bob in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. In the books, Bob is an air spirit bound into a skull, while in the TV series, he is a human ghost who "lives" there and comes out when Harry needs his services... or whenever he feels like it.
* In ''Literature/TheLastUnicorn'', a skull tells the main characters how to find the Red Bull's lair. This was changed to an entire skeleton for the movie, probably to make for more interesting animation.
* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/SoulMusic'', a talking skull appeared in a minor scene taking place in a wizard's workshop.
** In ''Literature/MakingMoney'', we are introduced to Unseen University's Department of [[InsistentTerminology Post-Mortem Communications]], which includes a talking skull named Charlie (who brags that he's "[[JustForPun the backbone]] of the department").
** It's mentioned in passing in ''Literature/TheScienceOfDiscworld 2'' that the Dean keeps a skull in his office that sings comical songs.
* Subverted in ''Literature/DonQuixote'', where Don Antonio Moreno tricks Quixote into thinking he has one of these, when really it's just his nephew speaking through a tube that leads into the head.
* Alexander Beliaev's sci-fi novel ''Professor Dowell's Head'' is entirely about this.
* Inverted in Creator/WilliamGibson's ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}''. The ornate head inside the Tessier-Ashpool complex, to which the password needs to be spoken to allow Neuromancer and Wintermute to merge into the first true AI. And also a reference to the Brazen head.
* In the novella ''The Magic Goes Away'', the necromancer Wavyhill has [[WhoWantsToLiveForever cast immortality spells on himself]]. However, [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor that backfires]] when [[BlessedWithSuck his body is hacked up and all that is left is his skull]], which due to his magic, he is trapped in and can talk.
* In ''Literature/TheSkullOfTruth'' by Creator/BruceCoville, the protagonist finds an oracular skull named Yorick in TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday.
* The NICE in ''Literature/ThatHideousStrength'' by Creator/CSLewis have the severed head of an executed criminal attached to a machine that keeps it alive and lets it speak. But it turns out it's not the original owner who's using it....
* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/MagicInc'', an African sorcerer consults the ShrunkenHead of his grandfather.
* In Tom Deitz's ''SoulsmithTrilogy'', Ronny Dillon creates a Brazen Head through a combination of mechanics and magic.
* In ''The Shattered World'', Pandrogas has a talking brazen head mounted over his laboratory's door as a security device.
* The villains in Creator/JohnMasefield's ''Literature/TheMidnightFolk'' and ''Literature/TheBoxOfDelights'' make use of a Brazen Head.
* In the Literature/ChooseYourOwnAdventure book ''Return to Brookmere'', the protagonist has a necklace with a talking amulet in the form of a dragon's head.
* There's a little-known medical horror novel, ''Heads'', in which disembodied heads are kept alive against their will for use as living computers.
* The Brazen Head is mentioned in ''Literature/TheIronDragonsDaughter''.
* In ''[[Literature/MythAdventures Myth Fortunes]]'', the sentient crystal ball of the Golden Hoard manifests as a female head of whatever species she's currently addressing, much like the Haunted Mansion example under 'Theme Parks'.
* The title character of Judith Merkle Riley's ''The Master of All Desires'' is one of these - it's a severed head in an ornate box that has the ability to see the future (making later historical references that mystify the other characters, it being set in the 16th century).

* In Creator/OrsonScottCard's book, "Wyrms," this can be the fate of anyone who dies while part of the royal court to preserve their ability to give advice. Their heads are removed upon death and placed in a preservative solution similar to the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' example, along with small insectoids that latch on to the head's severed nerve endings, along with an air bladder to facilitate speech. The insectoids are able to stimulate the brain, inducing anything from pain, to pleasure, to an intense need to go to the bathroom, providing incentive to speak the truth to those who ask questions of the head. This happens to the protagonist's father and is how she forces him to finally disclose the secrets he's kept from her all his life. Tellingly, its said that a former Emperor used to subject his ex-concubines to this and put them in his bedroom.
* In the gradually revealed backstory of ''Literature/{{Piranesi}}'', a wannabe-magician turns out to have consulted the head of [[spoiler:an ancient druid in a museum]] to acquire crucial knowledge.
* Mimir, in [[Literature/{{Ravirn}} MythOS]]; 'he' dwells in the Well of Knowledge. Also, he's effectively the control for MimirSoft, the local pantheon's version of the internet.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* An artifact of this type from ''{{TabletopGame/Rifts}}'' is called [[AlasPoorYorick Poor Yorick]].

* ''TabletopGame/HunterTheVigil'' gives us the Aegis Kai Doru and their most prized possession, the living head of John the Baptist.

* Clea brings the heroes ComicBook/DoctorStrange's severed head in a brandy barrel in ''ComicBook/Marvel1602''. As is typical of the trope, being dead means that Strange can now tell our heroes stuff that he couldn't while alive.
* ''ComicBook/TheInvisibles'' also has Ragged Robin stumble across a group of Conspiracy members who receive orders from the head of John the Baptist. Subverted in that Robin just hears the head talking nonsense, and realizes that the head's speaking in tongues; the only reason the Conspiracy members hear orders is because they've been so thoroughly conditioned to follow orders.
* ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'' ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} has been reduced to a [[{{Pun}} Headpool]], who is now the regular Deadpool's sidekick.

* Marie Antoinette in ''Film/HEDoubleHockeySticks'' is a disembodied head who acts as Mrs. Beelzebub's secretary. Despite the handicap of having no hands or arms.
* Oz the Great and Powerful from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' first appeared as a great and looming head before turning out to be TheManBehindTheCurtain.

[[folder:Mythology & Religion]]
* The Celtic god-hero Bran the Blessed ([[Creator/BrianBlessed no relation, probably]]), whose severed head continued to speak after his death and, according to one legend, is still buried under the Tower of London.
* Orpheus from Myth/GreekMythology lost his head to a ravening pack of Maenads, and continued to sing for a while afterwards.
* The Head of Mimir from Myth/NorseMythology. Mimir was originally the guardian of the Well of Knowledge, and supposedly all-knowing - after he got himself decapitated, Odin had his head preserved with special herbs and rune-magic, to serve as his adviser. Unfortunately, he's a bit of a prick and makes Odin pull one of his own eyes out.
* The head of Baphomet, supposedly "worshipped" by the Knights Templar following various satanic rites of sodomy (or sodomitic rites of satanism, either way). Usually described as the Brazen Head variant of this trope. Note the word's Arabic origin, probably intended to make the supposed worship extra-scary. The rumor of Baphomet worship may be in part from torture-induced "confessions" (since the Templars were up against a real kangaroo court), and in part because the Templars dealt in some degree of non-Church-approved heresy. Since the Church has multiple skulls and mummified heads of saints around as relics (St. Lawrence the Librarian to name one), the Templars likely had at least one in their possession.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* In one strip, [[ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes Calvin]] pretends to have one of these in a paper bag for Show and Tell. He uses it as a vehicle for teasing Susie Derkins.
-->''''Head':''' Soooosie is a Booooger Braaiin!
-->'''Calvin:''' It speaks the truth!
[[/folder]]

* Skull the Bone Head in ''Pinball/NoFearDangerousSports'', though he's strictly for the snark.

* {{Subverted|Tope}} in ''Anime/{{Texhnolyze}}'' with [[spoiler:Ran]], who ends up in this state but refuses to divine anything to [[spoiler:Kano]].

* Subverted in ''Anime/{{Texhnolyze}}'' with [[spoiler: Ran]] who ends up in this state but refuses to divine anything to [[spoiler: Kano]].

* Clea brings the heroes Comicbook/DoctorStrange's severed head in a brandy barrel in ''ComicBook/{{Marvel 1602}}''. As is typical of the trope, being dead means that Strange can now tell our heroes stuff that he couldn't while alive.

* ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'' ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} has been reduced to a [[IncrediblyLamePun Headpool]], who is now the regular Deadpool's sidekick.
* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' has Orpheus (from the Greek myths), Morpheus' son, an oracle and disembodied head. In one arc his father comes to consult him as [[spoiler: Destruction's anti-tracking wards could only be penetrated by a member of the family. In exchange he is finally allowed to die.]]

* ''ComicBook/KingdomCome''. Deadman has a talking skull head.
* In ''Comicbook/{{Azrael}}'', the Order of St Dumas had a brazen head that was supposedly St Dumas himself, preserved to share his wisdom. Which was mostly spewing misogyny at Sister Lilhy and telling Az how useless he was. A marginally more useful version appears in the ''ComicBook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'' annual, where it's just called the Oracle.

* The Brazen Head of the Vault Dweller appears in a humorous EasterEgg in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}''. It's a huge stone head like the ones at the village. You have to "argue" with him (read say "are to" to his "are not") for twleve hours for him to concede that you are the ChosenOne. He gives you a [[http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Monument_chunk chunk of rock]] as a parting gift and tells you to get lost. If your Steal skill is less than 95% and you try to snag a few more he dishes out 14,000 hit points of damage and instantly vaporizes you.

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]

[[folder: Theme Parks]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

* ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'': ''VideoGame/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'' has a severed navigator's head that leads you through the BloodyBowelsOfHell.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

* The NICE in ''That Hideous Strength'' by C. S. Lewis have the severed head of an executed criminal attached to a machine that keeps it alive and lets it speak. But it turns out it's not the original owner who's using it....

* In ''Creator/OrsonScottCard'''s book, "Wyrms," this can be the fate of anyone who dies while part of the royal court to preserve their ability to give advice. Their heads are removed upon death and placed in a preservative solution similar to the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' example, along with small insectoids that latch on to the head's severed nerve endings, along with an air bladder to facilitate speech. The insectoids are able to stimulate the brain, inducing anything from pain, to pleasure, to an intense need to go to the bathroom, providing incentive to speak the truth to those who ask questions of the head. This happens to the protagonist's father and is how she forces him to finally disclose the secrets he's kept from her all his life. Tellingly, its said that a former Emperor used to subject his ex-concubines to this and put them in his bedroom.

* In ''Creator/OrsonScottCard'''s book, "Wyrms," this can be the fate of anyone who dies while part of the royal court to preserve their ability to give advice. Their heads are removed upon death and placed in a preservative solution similar to the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' example, along with small insectoids that latch on to the head's severed nerve endings, along with an air bladder to facilitate speech. The insectoids are able to stimulate the brain, inducing anything from pain, to pleasure, to an intense need to go to the bathroom, providing incentive to speak the truth to those who ask questions of the head. This happens to the protagonist's father and is how she forces him to finally disclose the secrets he's kept from her all his life. Tellingly, its said that a former Emperor used to subject his ex-concumbines to this and put them in his bedroom.

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' has Orpheus, Morpheus' son, an oracle and disembodied head.

* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'': Megatron spends all of Season 1 as one due to damage sustained in the pilot movie. He gets his body back in the season finale.

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Discworld/SoulMusic'', a talking skull appeared in a minor scene taking place in a wizard's workshop.
** In ''Discworld/MakingMoney'', we are introduced to Unseen University's Department of [[InsistentTerminology Post-Mortem Communications]], which includes a talking skull named Charlie (who brags that he's "[[JustForPun the backbone]] of the department").
** It's mentioned in passing in ''Discworld/TheScienceOfDiscworld 2'' that the Dean keeps a skull in his office that sings comical songs.

* ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'':
** ''VideoGame/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'' has a severed navigator's head that leads you through Hell.
** Murray the Mighty Demonic Skull from ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' was originally supposed to be a OneSceneWonder, but he [[EnsembleDarkhorse proved so popular with fans]] that he popped up a few more times in ''Curse'', made a cameo in ''VideoGame/EscapeFromMonkeyIsland'', and even popped up again in one episode of ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland''.
--->'''Murray:''' I'm a powerful demonic force! I'm the harbinger of your doom! And the forces of darkness will applaud me as I ''stride'' through the gates of Hell, carrying your head on a pike!
--->'''Guybrush:''' [[IWouldSayIfICouldSay "Stride"]]?
--->'''Murray:''' Alright then, roll! ''Roll'' through the gates of hell. Must you take the fun out of everything?
* Postie Pete in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'', a talking skull that delivers letters to [=NPCs=]. Also one of the Holiday items was a severed Zombie head that you could hold and talk to.

* Bonehead, one of the most memorable characters in the ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' series (and that's saying something), was - as his name suggests - a skull of this nature, one of many skulls surrounding the hut of Baba Yaga. One of the few things he ''doesn't'' complain about is not having EyeBeams like his boneheaded kinsmen, apparently considering sentience a valid trade-off.
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Nox}}''. Talking to a recently-deceased mook's skull results in the skull responding, "I'm dead, I can't hear you."
* Urien's ending in ''[[StreetFighter Street Fighter III 3rd Strike]]'' has this with Urien looking down at the head of Gill, the series' BigBad and his older brother.
* ''MythTheFallenLords'' had a talking, severed head show up in the cutscenes, serving as an adviser to the sorcerer-generals in charge of the war against [[BigBad Balor]]. Turns out that [[spoiler:the head is more interested in sowing chaos and discord among the good guys then actually helping them win.]] Given the amount of stuff that was based on Celtic lore, he's probably based on the aforementioned Bran. The prequel established that [[spoiler: the head is actually from a previous incarnation of the BigBad]].

* Morte the sentient Mimir from ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' (see Tabletop Games), who looks even more skull-like than other Mimir. [[spoiler:Mainly, this is because Morte ultimately turns out ''not'' to be a Mimir, but a piece of the Pillar of Skulls from the first layer of Hell]]. Morte doesn't just talk, he snarks and jibes and is pretty much 'alive' in every sense of the world but the purely physical one.
* ''VideoGame/TooHuman'', being a {{Cyberpunk}} adaptation of Norse Mythology has Mimir as the Aesir corporation's data decryption and information specialist, he's not much for field work though seeing how last time only his head came back.
* ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' contains one prime example where [[spoiler:William Blazkowicz's]] head is kept preserved in a jar developed by Set. It remains there a short time until it can [[spoiler: be reattached to the headless body of a captured Nazi]].

* Gerry of ''Videogame/GraveyardKeeper'' is this as a talking skull, though he's a particularly ineffective one as he barely has any useful information due to having amnesia, sends you off on trips to get alcohol for him, and drives you to do terrible things like cutting off flesh from the corpses you autopsy and selling it for money.
* In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' Mimir is decapitated by Kratos, at his own request, as he's [[AndIMustScream trapped in a tree]] when first encountered, and then revived and carried around to provide [[MrExposition advice and commentary]].

* In ''Comicbook/{{Azrael}}'', the Order of St Dumas had a brazen head that was supposedly St Dumas himself, preserved to share his wisdom. Which was mostly spewing misogyny at Sister Lilhy and telling Az how useless he was. A marginally more useful version appears in the ''Legends of the Dead Earth'' {{Elseworld}} annual, where it's just called the Oracle.

* In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' Mimir is decapitated by Kratos, at his own request as he's [[AndIMustScream trapped in a tree]] when first encountered, and then revived and carried around to provide [[MrExposition advice and commentary]].