Event: Tarzan could speak no English but yet he could read and write it. He had never seen a human being other than himself.
Source: "at eighteen," ERB-Tarzan Of The APES.
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| Edgar Rice Burroughs |
Date: September 27, 1890
Event: Kala, Tarzan's ape foster mother, is killed by Kulonga.
Source: The actual date of Kala's death is not provided by ERB in Tarzan Of The Apes, but for Tarzan to be eighteen as reported the event had to occur after September 1, which is the ape man's birthday. To provide a working date I depended on the fact that ERB consistently tells us in many many passages throughout Tarzan Of The Apes and Jungle Tales Of Tarzan that the jungle lord goes to Mbonga's village on the full moon to watch the natives dance and to replenish his arrows and other needs. Kulonga was out hunting for a catch for the full moon dance when he came upon Kala. Checking the U.S. Naval Observatory's Phases of the Moon we discover there was a full moon on September 28. Since Kulonga is hunting the game for that upcoming event, and going by ERB's recorded description, it is most probable the day before the dance is when Tarzan's Mangani foster mother was killed.
Date: September 28, 1890
Event: Tarzan kills Kulonga and he discovers Mbonga's village.
Source: The day following Kala's death. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes. Burroughs in Tarzan Of The Apes does not provide us with the actual date. As reported above ERB in many many passages throughout Tarzan Of The Apes and Jungle Tales Of Tarzan tells us that the ape-man goes to Mbonga's village on the full moon to watch the natives dance and to replenish his arrows and other needs. ERB at this point does not explicitly say Tarzan watched the natives dance that night, but as one continues to read we discover that by Tarzan's third recorded visit to Mbonga's village, as reported in Jungle Tales Of Tarzan, the ape-man has already developed the love of watching the natives dance.
"Although he hated them, Tarzan derived considerable entertainment in watching them at their daily life within the village, and especially at their dances, when the fires, glared against their naked bodies as they leaped and turned and twisted in mimic warfare." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
www.rodurago.net/en/index.php?link=calendar&site=details
Date: October 27, 1890
Event: Tarzan finds his mother's locket, his father's diary, and a photograph of John Clayton.
Source: The day before setting out on his second recorded visit to Mbonga's village. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes. Burroughs does not provide the exact date but the clue is, the day before his second visit to Mbonga's village. Since we have established the fact that the natives dance on full moons this event occurs one day before a full moon.
Date: October 28, 1890, a full moon
Event: Tarzan's second trip to Mbonga's village was to steal arrows.
Source: "ere a month had passed since his first visit." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes. Although Burroughs does not mention native dancing, we have now established that their dancing was one of Tarzan's favorite entertainments. Therefore, he always combined stealing arrows with dance nights. The reason ERB highlights the arrows, in this case, is because of Tarzan's archery practice.
The full moon date is from the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department's Phases Of The Moon.
www,rodurago.net/en/index.php?link=calendar&site=details
Date: October 29, 1890
Event: Tarzan Of The Apes fades out and Jungle Tales Of Tarzan begins.
Source: "That night he slept in the forest not far from the village, and early the next morning set out slowly on his homeward march," ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
Date: November 24, 1890
Event: Tarzan fights Taug for Teeka.
Source: The exact date is untold, but after Tarzan realizes Teeka is not for him Jungle Tales Of Tarzan chapter one states; "In Teeka he had seen within the past few hours a substitute for Kala - someone to fight and hunt for - someone to caress, but now his dream was shattered." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
This passage strongly suggests Tarzan's fight with Taug occurs very shortly after Kala's death. Not immediately, however, for when Tarzan goes to the village two days later ERB states, "It had been some time since Tarzan had visited the blacks and looked down from the shelter of the great trees which overhung their palisade upon the activities of his enemies, from among whom had come the slayer of Kala," ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
Date: November 26, 1890, a full moon
Event: Tarzan watched Mbonga's warriors set a trap and followed them home in hopes of seeing them dance.
Source: Two days after his fight with Taug. ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
Chat: This is Tarzan's third recorded visit to Mbonga's village and due to descriptions in other places it most likely was his third actual visit as well. One hint is that after Tarzan watched the blacks build the trap ERB states, "Tarzan wondered what the thing might be, and why, when they had built it, they turned away and started back along the trail in the direction of their village." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
From this we can gather Tarzan is looking at his first trap which proves he has little experience with the natives. Up to this point, we are told Tarzan goes once a month, man time, or once a moon, ape time, to replenish his arrows. It is specifically stated this visit is to watch the blacks dance; but the passage quoted above, "it had been some time since Tarzan had visited the blacks," suggest that stealing arrows is most likely on the agenda also. ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
The full moon date is provided by the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department's Phases Of The Moon.
www.rodurago.net/en/index.php?link=calendar&site=details
Date: November 27, 1890
Event: Tarzan discovers Taug in the native's trap and rescues him.
Source: "Early the following morning." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
Date: November 28, 1890
Event: Tarzan rescues Tantor, but is captured by the natives. He is taken to Mbonga's village which is his fourth recorded visit.
Source: Again ERB offers no date, but again Tarzan's ignorance of the trap shows the small passage of time. "Puzzle as he would, however, he could not solve the mystery of the concealed pit, for the ways of the blacks were still strange ways to Tarzan. They had entered his jungle but a short time before - the first of their kind to encrouch upon the age-old supremacy of the beasts which laired there." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan
Source: The actual date of Kala's death is not provided by ERB in Tarzan Of The Apes, but for Tarzan to be eighteen as reported the event had to occur after September 1, which is the ape man's birthday. To provide a working date I depended on the fact that ERB consistently tells us in many many passages throughout Tarzan Of The Apes and Jungle Tales Of Tarzan that the jungle lord goes to Mbonga's village on the full moon to watch the natives dance and to replenish his arrows and other needs. Kulonga was out hunting for a catch for the full moon dance when he came upon Kala. Checking the U.S. Naval Observatory's Phases of the Moon we discover there was a full moon on September 28. Since Kulonga is hunting the game for that upcoming event, and going by ERB's recorded description, it is most probable the day before the dance is when Tarzan's Mangani foster mother was killed.
 |
| Burne Hogarth |
Event: Tarzan kills Kulonga and he discovers Mbonga's village.
Source: The day following Kala's death. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes. Burroughs in Tarzan Of The Apes does not provide us with the actual date. As reported above ERB in many many passages throughout Tarzan Of The Apes and Jungle Tales Of Tarzan tells us that the ape-man goes to Mbonga's village on the full moon to watch the natives dance and to replenish his arrows and other needs. ERB at this point does not explicitly say Tarzan watched the natives dance that night, but as one continues to read we discover that by Tarzan's third recorded visit to Mbonga's village, as reported in Jungle Tales Of Tarzan, the ape-man has already developed the love of watching the natives dance.
"Although he hated them, Tarzan derived considerable entertainment in watching them at their daily life within the village, and especially at their dances, when the fires, glared against their naked bodies as they leaped and turned and twisted in mimic warfare." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
www.rodurago.net/en/index.php?link=calendar&site=details
 |
| Burne Hogarth |
Date: October 27, 1890
Event: Tarzan finds his mother's locket, his father's diary, and a photograph of John Clayton.
Source: The day before setting out on his second recorded visit to Mbonga's village. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes. Burroughs does not provide the exact date but the clue is, the day before his second visit to Mbonga's village. Since we have established the fact that the natives dance on full moons this event occurs one day before a full moon.
 |
| Joe Kubert |
Event: Tarzan's second trip to Mbonga's village was to steal arrows.
Source: "ere a month had passed since his first visit." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes. Although Burroughs does not mention native dancing, we have now established that their dancing was one of Tarzan's favorite entertainments. Therefore, he always combined stealing arrows with dance nights. The reason ERB highlights the arrows, in this case, is because of Tarzan's archery practice.
The full moon date is from the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department's Phases Of The Moon.
www,rodurago.net/en/index.php?link=calendar&site=details
 |
| Thomas Yeates |
Date: October 29, 1890
Event: Tarzan Of The Apes fades out and Jungle Tales Of Tarzan begins.
Source: "That night he slept in the forest not far from the village, and early the next morning set out slowly on his homeward march," ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
 |
| Norman Bean |
Event: Tarzan fights Taug for Teeka.
Source: The exact date is untold, but after Tarzan realizes Teeka is not for him Jungle Tales Of Tarzan chapter one states; "In Teeka he had seen within the past few hours a substitute for Kala - someone to fight and hunt for - someone to caress, but now his dream was shattered." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
This passage strongly suggests Tarzan's fight with Taug occurs very shortly after Kala's death. Not immediately, however, for when Tarzan goes to the village two days later ERB states, "It had been some time since Tarzan had visited the blacks and looked down from the shelter of the great trees which overhung their palisade upon the activities of his enemies, from among whom had come the slayer of Kala," ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
 |
| John Busma |
Date: November 26, 1890, a full moon
Event: Tarzan watched Mbonga's warriors set a trap and followed them home in hopes of seeing them dance.
Source: Two days after his fight with Taug. ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
Chat: This is Tarzan's third recorded visit to Mbonga's village and due to descriptions in other places it most likely was his third actual visit as well. One hint is that after Tarzan watched the blacks build the trap ERB states, "Tarzan wondered what the thing might be, and why, when they had built it, they turned away and started back along the trail in the direction of their village." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
From this we can gather Tarzan is looking at his first trap which proves he has little experience with the natives. Up to this point, we are told Tarzan goes once a month, man time, or once a moon, ape time, to replenish his arrows. It is specifically stated this visit is to watch the blacks dance; but the passage quoted above, "it had been some time since Tarzan had visited the blacks," suggest that stealing arrows is most likely on the agenda also. ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
The full moon date is provided by the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department's Phases Of The Moon.
www.rodurago.net/en/index.php?link=calendar&site=details
 |
| Pablo Marcos |
Date: November 27, 1890
Event: Tarzan discovers Taug in the native's trap and rescues him.
Source: "Early the following morning." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan.
 |
| Frank Frazetta |
Event: Tarzan rescues Tantor, but is captured by the natives. He is taken to Mbonga's village which is his fourth recorded visit.
Source: Again ERB offers no date, but again Tarzan's ignorance of the trap shows the small passage of time. "Puzzle as he would, however, he could not solve the mystery of the concealed pit, for the ways of the blacks were still strange ways to Tarzan. They had entered his jungle but a short time before - the first of their kind to encrouch upon the age-old supremacy of the beasts which laired there." ERB-Jungle Tales Of Tarzan
 |
| Jeffrey Jones |
Date: December 26, 1890
Event: Tarzan pays an unrecorded visit to Mbonga's village to watch the natives dance and steal arrows.
Source: Although this date is not directly provided by Burroughs, it is based on ERB's provided information that Tarzan goes once a month to Mbonga's village on a full moon to watch them dance and steal supplies. The full moon date is supplied by the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department's Phases Of The Moon.
 |
| Thomas Yeates |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Over the past forty-five years, Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There, the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more accepted date, May 1888.
James Michael Moody also authorizes the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022, and Swordsman On Unium, published on July 15, 2024.
