Stephen King Once Revealed The Inspiration Behind Pennywise The Clown in IT
Stephen King's IT is one of horror’s most iconic tales, and much of its terrifying allure comes from the creature Pennywise, a monstrous entity that takes on various terrifying forms, but the clown is the one we all know it by.
With the upcoming IT: Welcome To Derry series coming out, I thought it would be fun to explore how Pennywise came to exist.
At the center of the story is the chilling idea of a creature that preys on the deepest fears of children, relentlessly hunting them down with an ability to adapt its shape to whatever scares them most.
When IT targets Eddie, a young germaphobe, it manifests as an infected leper. When stalking Mike, it appears as a bird inspired by a film that recently terrified him.
Pennywise even crosses into human forms like Beverly’s abusive father shifting from physical abuse to an open attempt on her life. This versatility allows IT to ambush the kids at any time, in any place.
King found the spark of inspiration for Pennywise back in 1978 while he was writing his other epic novel, The Stand. As he walked across a bridge, the memory of a classic children's tale popped into his mind.
King recalls in Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences (via Entertainment Weekly).
He said: "I thought of the story of Billy Goats Gruff, the troll who says, 'Who's that trip-trapping on my bridge?' and the whole story just bounced into my mind on a pogo-stick. Not the characters, but the split time-frame [...] all the monsters that were one monster [...] the troll under the bridge."
The tale of “Three Billy Goats Gruff” is a Norwegian folktale first published in 1841, though its roots go back much further.
In the story, three billy goats attempt to cross a bridge under which a troll lurks, threatening to devour them one by one. The smaller goats manage to convince the troll to wait for the largest goat, promising it as the biggest meal. When the largest goat finally crosses, he easily overpowers the troll:
“He flew at the troll, and poked his eyes out with his horns, and crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out into the cascade.”
This story has been passed down through generations with slight variations and serves as both a thrilling children’s tale and a lesson about facing fear with strength.
In some versions, multiple monsters reside under the bridge, and sometimes, the monster symbolizes Death itself. Other retellings omit the happy ending for the smaller goats.
Like the troll, Pennywise is the embodiment of hidden threats, a creature waiting for the right moment to unleash terror on the unsuspecting.
I like that Pennywise is an age-old fear that bridges both the supernatural and the folklore that have haunted people for centuries.
In IT, Pennywise is a nightmarish predator, a shapeshifter tapping into primal childhood fears. It’s a manifestation of evil that, like the troll under the bridge, is forever lurking, waiting for its next victim to cross into its dark territory.