Miriam Merel: Difference between revisions

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Created page with "{{Infobox |above = '''Schor de Kraai''' |abovestyle = background: #9fd8f9; |subheader = Character |image = 200px|alt="Schor de Kraai" | header1 = Schor in Episode 1 | label2 = Species | data2 = Crow | label3 = Birthplace | data3 = Breed Rietland | label4 = First appearance | data4 = Episode 1 | label5..."
 
 
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{{Infobox
{{Infobox
|above = '''Schor de Kraai'''  
|above = '''Miriam Merel'''  
|abovestyle  = background: #9fd8f9;
|abovestyle  = background: #9fd8f9;
|subheader = Character
|subheader = Character
|image = [[Image:Schor de Kraai.jpg|200px|alt="Schor de Kraai"]]
|image = [[Image:Miriam Merel.jpg|200px|alt="Miriam Merel"]]
| header1 = Schor in [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 1|Episode 1]]
| header1 = Miriam in [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 1|Episode 1]]
| label2        = Species
| label2        = Species
| data2        = [[:Category:Crow_Character|Crow]]
| data2        = [[:Category:Thrush_Character|Thrush]]
| label3        = Birthplace
| label3        = Birthplace
| data3        = [[Breed Rietland]]
| data3        = [[Breed Rietland]]
Line 12: Line 12:
| data4        = [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 1|Episode 1]]
| data4        = [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 1|Episode 1]]
| label5        = Character Model Sheet number
| label5        = Character Model Sheet number
| data5        = 8/1 (sheet 7)<ref name="CCD">{{CiteBook|CCD}}</ref>
| data5        = 50/5 (sheet 36)<ref name="CCD">{{CiteBook|CCD}}</ref>
| label6      = Character Model Sheet name
| label6      = Character Model Sheet name
| data6        = Schor
| data6        = Dolf's Moeder<ref>{{CiteBook|CCD}}</ref>
| header11 = <hr /> Name in different languages
| header11 = <hr /> Name in different languages
| label12        = Dutch name
| label12        = Dutch name
| data12        = Schor de Kraai<ref name="DRO P88" /><ref>{{CiteBook|CCD}}</ref>
| data12        = Miriam Merel<ref name="DRO P92" /> / Esther<ref name="MALNL" />
| label13        = Japanese name
| label13        = Japanese name
| data13        = ニコル (Nicol)<ref name="Ep1C" />
| data13        = ニコルの妻 (Nikoru no tsuma) Nicol's wife<ref name="Ep1">{{CiteAJKep|JA|1}} Named like this in the end credits.</ref>
| label14        = German name
| label14        = German name
| data14        = Schor<ref>{{cite AV media |last= van Veen|first= Herman|date= 1990|title= [[843 500-4 Alfred J. Kwak 1 - Hurra, Er Ist Da! / Böse Überraschung|Alfred J. Kwak 1 - Hurra, Er Ist Da! / Böse Überraschung]]|trans-title= Alfred J. Kwak 1 - Hooray, he's here! / Bad Surprise |series= [[Karussel audio cassettes]] |type= Cassette tape|language= de|publisher= [[Karussell]]|location = Leipzig|id = 843 500-4}} ''In the credits list''.</ref>
| data14        = Kra Mutter<ref>{{cite AV media |last= van Veen|first= Herman|date= 1990|title= [[843 500-4 Alfred J. Kwak 1 - Hurra, Er Ist Da! / Böse Überraschung|Alfred J. Kwak 1 - Hurra, Er Ist Da! / Böse Überraschung]]|trans-title= Alfred J. Kwak 1 - Hooray, he's here! / Bad Surprise |series= [[Karussel audio cassettes]] |type= Cassette tape|language= de|publisher= [[Karussell]]|location = Leipzig|id = 843 500-4}} ''In the credits list''.</ref>
| label15        = English name
| label15        = English name
| data15        = Dolf's father
| data15        = Dolf's mother
}}
}}


'''Schor de Kraai'''<ref name="DRO P88">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Schor is named in this book on page 88''</ref>, or '''Nicol''' in the Japanese version<ref name="Ep1C">{{CiteAJKep|JA|1}} ''In the end credits''</ref>, is the father of [[Dolf de Kraai]] who lived in [[Breed Rietland]] together with [[Miriam Merel]], his wife. Deeply afraid of the unnatural, Schor has a need to use aggression and anger to try and chase those elements away. He struggles with [[wikipedia:Alcoholism|alcohol]] and his mental coherence deteriorates rapidly over the course of his life and after moving to [[Groot Waterland]] wanders around [[Polderstad]] in a state of confusion.<ref name="DRO P90">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 90''</ref><ref name="DRO P170" />
: ''Miriam Merel's character design appears in episodes beyond [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 5|episode 5]], which should not be possible as her son, [[Dolf de Kraai]], mentions to [[Alfred Jodocus Kwak]] that his mother is dead.<ref name="Ep5">{{CiteAJKep|JA|5}}</ref> As many character designs are [[Character designs used for background characters#Miriam_Merel|re-used frequently]] in other episodes, this is most likely a continuation of that trend rather than a part of Miriam's story.''
'''Miriam Merel'''<ref name="DRO P92">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Miriam is named in this book on page 92''</ref>, or '''Esther'''<ref name="MALNL">{{CiteBook|MALNL}} ''Page 14''</ref> is a fictional character who is the mother of [[Dolf de Kraai]] and husband of [[Schor de Kraai]]. She is almost always referred to as "Dolf's mother", for example in the [[Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak]] book, but she get a name in two different books; she is called Miriam Merel in [[De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak]] and Esther in the Dutch version of [[Alfred J. Kwak Mijn avontuurlijke leven]], but stays unnamed in the original German version.
 
After moving from [[Breed Rietland]] to [[Groot Waterland]] she loses her life as she is coaxed into flying into the [[Stompe Toren]]. She is believed to have committed [[wikipedia:Suicide|suicide]].<ref name="Ep5" /><ref name="DRO P119">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 119-121''</ref>


==Appearance==
==Appearance==
He's a greying crow when [[Johan Sebastiaan Kwak]] has his first confrontation with him. His skin isn't dark anymore and is quite light, as is his beak. He seems to be bald apart from bushy eyebrows and a Hungarian style of [[wikipedia:Moustache|moustache]]. He has some [[wikipedia:Liver spots|liver spots]] on the sides of his head and bright orange eyes. He usually has a resentful look on his face.
Miriam is a dark feathered [[:Category:Thrush_Character|thrush]] with a small yellow beak and greying hair wrapped up in to a bun on each side of her face. She has an hourglass figure and small stature. Her eyes have big eyelashes.  


Schor wears a white short sleeved shirt and green [[wikipedia:Lederhosen|lederhosen]] with red trims and red tassles. He wears a [[wikipedia:Tyrolean hat|Tyrolean hat]] with that and brown leather shoes, completing his [[wikipedia:Bavaria|Bavarian]] style wardrobe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lederhosen|title=Lederhosen page on Wikipedia|website=en.wikipedia.org|language=en}}</ref>
In the only instance we see her in, she wears a [[wikipedia:Bavaria|Bavarian]] inspired outfit, similar to her husband [[Schor de Kraai]]. She wears a [[wikipedia:Dirndl|dirndl]], which is a dress traditionally worn by women and girls in some Alpine regions of Austria, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.<ref name="PONS">Anette Dralle & Christiane Mackenzie (eds.): ''Standardwörterbuch Plus Englisch mit Wörterbuch-App: Englisch-Deutsch, Deutsch-Englisch'', PONS, Stuttgart, 2019, p. 714.</ref> The outfit consists of a [[wikipedia:Bodice|bodice]], [[wikipedia:Skirt|skirt]] and [[wikipedia:Blouse|blouse]], but is missing the classical [[wikipedia:Apron|apron]]. The bodice is dark with yellow rims and a deep neckline. On her character sheet there are flowers embroidered onto it, however these aren't visible in the [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 1|episode]] she appears in and instead she has red dots over the back of it. The skirt is dark red with a lighter red underskirt. The blouse is white with frilly edges and puffed shoulders. She also wears a traditional hat with a red pompom on it.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MalNR0FHU9k |title=German Stereotypes: The Dirndl, Humor And German Efficiency {{!}} Meet the Germans |date=2021-03-30 |last=DW Euromaxx |access-date=2025-04-26 |via=YouTube}}</ref>


He has a slight redesign in [[De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen]] where he also wears red and white stripes socks, wears a golden button on his shirt, his shoes have steel toe caps and his braces come together in the front in a green-and-red circular design.
[[File:Harald-Siepermann-Dolfs-mother.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Sketches for Miriam's character sheet with the word [[wikipedia:Dirndl|dirndl]] on it to reference the clothing. She appears here without a hat and the flowers on her [[wikipedia:Bodice|bodice]] are real instead of embroidered.]]


==Personality==
==Personality==
Schor is a grumpy conformist, with a dash of speciesism, known for a rigid belief that every species should stick to their designated traditional roles. This is reflected in his old-fashioned traditional [[wikipedia:Bavaria|Bavarian]] garb.<ref name="Ep1">{{CiteAJKep|JA|1}}</ref>
Miriam in the [[Alfred J. Kwak|animated series]] follows her husband, [[Schor de Kraai]]'s resentment of others and judges [[Anna van de Polder]] and [[Johan Sebastiaan Kwak]]'s eggs. She's cynical about others, but uplifts herself and Schor.<ref name="Ep1a" />


He lashes out to others for being strange or forming strange relationships, likely trying to project his own insecurities over having a [[:Category:Thrush Character|thrush]] as a partner and a cross-breed son. He takes this frustration out on his family themselves as well. He treats [[Miriam Merel]] poorly when she only lays one egg, and doesn't take any responsibility in raising his son [[Dolf de Kraai|Dolf]].<ref name="DRO P90">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 90''</ref> <ref name="DRO P93">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 93''</ref>
In the book [[De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak]] Miriam is portrayed as having a very troubled relationship with the domineering Schor. Schor was contemptuous towards Miriam for having her deliver a colored child. Miriam also struggled with bouts of depression and disillusionment with her situation, becoming frail and mentally unstable.<ref name="DRO P93" />  


He has psychotic tendencies, regularly suffering from memory loss and concentration problems.<ref name="DRO P89">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 89''</ref> He's even known to fly from tree to tree, drinking the juice of poisoned berries daily.<ref name="DRO P90">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 90''</ref><ref group="note">While the book [[De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak]] doesn't make this explicit, it could be that drinking the juice of poisoned berries is a euphemism for [[wikipedia:Alcoholism|alcoholism]], which is made explicit in [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 5|episode 5]] of the [[Alfred J. Kwak|animated series]].</ref> Together with a drinking problem that even his son could identify at a young age<ref name="Ep5">{{CiteAJKep|NL|5}}</ref> it is possible that Schor might suffer from [[wikipedia:Korsakoff syndrome|Korsakoff syndrome]], but this is pure conjecture.
[[Henk de Mol]] recalls that she used to sing [[wikipedia:Lullaby|lullabies]] to her son, [[Dolf de Kraai]], but as her emotional state deteriorated she stopped.<ref name="DRO P119A">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 119''</ref>


==Storyline==
==Storyline==
During his life in the [[Plaspoelpolder]] he made sure to make [[Johan Sebastiaan Kwak]]'s life a miserable hell as he couldn't understand that a [[:Category:Duck Character|duck]] could be friends with a [[:Category:Mole Character|mole]]. While [[Henk de Mol]], Johan's mole friend, didn't engage with Schor, it really got under Johan's nerves and he and Schor frequently got into fights.<ref name="DRO P88A">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 88''</ref>  
[[File:MarliesTracht.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Woman wearing [[wikipedia:Dirdnl|dirndl]] with spring flowers.]]
In [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 1|episode 1]] she joins her husband in his diatribe of [[Johan Sebastiaan Kwak]] and [[Anna van de Polder]]'s eggs and comes off quite combative herself. She seems to just default to agree-ing with [[Schor de Kraai]] as even at the end they speak in unison when Anna comes back and asks what is wrong.<ref name="Ep1a">{{CiteAJKep|JA|1}}</ref>


His [[:Category:Thrush Character|thrush]] wife [[Miriam Merel]] keeps her surname, likely due to shame on Schor's part. They make one egg together, which hatches into [[Dolf de Kraai]], a crow with a yellow beak, which is something Schor couldn't accept. After they had a child together, Schor felt compelled to remain with Miriam, as his own beliefs demanded that they stay together, regardless of how unhappy he was with her.<ref name="DRO P94">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 94''</ref>  
In the book [[De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak]] Schor brought her to Anna and Johan's nest to show her a better nest as she was only able to lay one egg. Miriam was deeply troubled about this, pleading to go back to her son [[Dolf de Kraai]] who was all alone.<ref name="DRO P93">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Pages 93-94''</ref>


After leaving the Plaspoelpolder, because of the construction of [[Groot Speelgoedland]], and settling in a tree near [[Polderstad]] he grew increasingly impatient with Miriam's depression and would regularly call out for her to commit [[wikipedia:Suicide|suicide]] if she wasn't feeling happy, as it would do him a favor as well. This emotionally weakened Miriam even more, on top of her duty of care to their son and providing food, which Schor refused to do.<ref name="DRO P118">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 118''</ref> This situation came to a head when Schor invited Miriam for a flight over Polderstad, an unfamiliar airspace to Miriam, then exploited her in her weakened state and directed her to crash into the [[Stompe Toren]], killing her. According to [[Henk de Mol]], [[Ollie de Ooievaar#Mollie de Ooievaar|Mollie de Ooievaar]] was the only witness. Afterwards he claimed that Miriam had deliberately flown into the tower, and this account became the prevailing belief in Polderstad.<ref name="DRO P119">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 119-121''</ref>
Her relationship with Schor continued to deteriorate, as well as her own mental state, as they moved to [[Groot Waterland]]. There Miriam mental problems continued to escalate, as Schor wasn't taking up any sort of work. Her son would hardly acknowledge his mother, constantly asking when his father would be back. And when Schor got back he would hit his son repeatedly.<ref name="DRO P118">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 118''</ref> Miriam's depression only angered Schor, and he encouraged her to commit [[wikipedia:Suicide|suicide]].<ref name="DRO P118">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 118''</ref>


After the incident Dolf came home from [[wikipedia:Kindergarten|kindergarten]] to find his home empty. Schor never acknowlegded him ever again, either on purpose or from his prolonged psychological deterioration.<ref name="DRO P121">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 121''</ref> Schor would then wander about meaninglessly, flying around and screaming, only to get worse and worse.<ref name="DRO P170">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 170''</ref>
During the winter, when Dolf was still in [[wikipedia:Kindergarten|kindergarten]], Schor invited Miriam for a flight over Polderstad, an unfamiliar airspace to Miriam, then exploited her in her weakened state and directed her to crash into the [[Stompe Toren]], killing her. According to [[Henk de Mol]], [[Mollie de Ooievaar]] was the only witness. Afterwards he claimed that Miriam had deliberately flown into the tower, and this account became the prevailing belief in Polderstad.<ref name="DRO P119">{{CiteBook|DRO}} ''Page 119-121''</ref>


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   <div style="display: inline-block; margin: auto;">
   <div style="display: inline-block; margin: auto;">
     [[File:Goedemorgen Schor en Johan.jpg|thumb|400px|Schor and his wife [[Miriam Merel|Miriam]] confronting [[Johan Sebastiaan Kwak]] about his eggs, with a claw from [[Rap de Kiekendief]], from the book [[De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen]]]]
     [[File:Goedemorgen Schor en Johan.jpg|thumb|400px|Miriam Merel and her husband [[Schor de Kraai]] confronting [[Johan Sebastiaan Kwak]] about his eggs, with a claw from [[Rap de Kiekendief]], from the book [[De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen]]]]
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===[[Books]]===
===[[Books]]===
<gallery widths=100 heights=100>
<gallery widths=100 heights=100>
File:Goedemorgen Schor.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen]] (1989) (Dutch)
File:Goedemorgen Schorvrouw.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen]] (1989) (Dutch)
File:De Zeven Eieren Schor.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren]] (1989) (Dutch)
File:De Zeven Eieren Schorvrouw.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren]] (1989) (Dutch)
File:De Zeven Eieren Schor.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: Omnibus 1|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: Omnibus 1]] (1989) (Dutch)
File:De Zeven Eieren Schorvrouw.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: Omnibus 1|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: Omnibus 1]] (1989) (Dutch)
File:De Zeven Eieren Schor.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren (mini)|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren (mini)]] (1990) (Dutch)
File:De Zeven Eieren Schorvrouw.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren (mini)|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: De zeven eieren (mini)]] (1990) (Dutch)
File:No Picture for Character.jpg|link=De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|[[De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak]] (1991) (Dutch)
File:No Picture for Character.jpg|link=De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|[[De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak]] (1991) (Dutch)
File:Filmstripboek1 Schor.jpg|link=Alfred J. Kwak Filmstripboek Deel 1|[[Alfred J. Kwak Filmstripboek Deel 1]] (2006) (Dutch)
File:Filmstripboek1 SchorVrouw.jpg|link=Alfred J. Kwak Filmstripboek Deel 1|[[Alfred J. Kwak Filmstripboek Deel 1]] (2006) (Dutch)
File:No Picture for Character.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: Het Grote Voorleesboek|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: Het Grote Voorleesboek]] (2010) (Dutch)
File:No Picture for Character.jpg|link=De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: Het Grote Voorleesboek|[[De wonderlijke avonturen van Alfred J. Kwak: Het Grote Voorleesboek]] (2010) (Dutch)
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Production background==
==Production background==
Miriam gets her name from the book [[De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak (book)|De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak]], but she gets a different name in the translated version of [[Alfred J. Kwak : mein abenteuerliches Leben]], [[Alfred Jodocus Kwak - Mijn avontuurlijke leven]], namely '''Esther'''. It is unknown why there is a discrepancy, but because a considerable amount of the former book is dedicated to fleshing out this character, the Miriam Merel name has taken precedence.
Miriam Merel's character design can be found on sheet 36 of the [[Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak]] book under the name "Dolf's Moeder" (lit. "Dolf's Mother"). According to her sheet she was set to appear in [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 5|episode 5]] and [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 6|episode 6]]. In the final product she was instead only featured in [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 1|episode 1]] as Dolf's mother. On the sketch for the character design for Miriam, the word "[[wikipedia:Dirndl|dirndl]]" is written next to her, relating to the inspiration for her clothing.


Her character design reused for [[Character designs used for background characters#Miriam Merel|other characters]] in [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 6|episode 6]] in the audience, [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 11|episode 11]] as a random passerby in the beginning of the episode, and [[Alfred J. Kwak Episode 27|episode 27]] as a passenger traveling on the same train as [[Alfred Jodocus Kwak|Alfred]].


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     [[File:Harald-Siepermann-Dolfs-father-Model-Sheet.jpg|thumb|400px|Schor de Kraai's character design from the [[Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak]] book.]]
     [[File:Harald-Siepermann-Dolfs-mother-Model-Sheet.jpg|thumb|400px|Miriam Merel's character design from the [[Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak]] book.]]
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</div>
</div>

Latest revision as of 10:02, 4 August 2026

Miriam Merel
Character
"Miriam Merel"
Miriam in Episode 1
SpeciesThrush
BirthplaceBreed Rietland
First appearanceEpisode 1
Character Model Sheet number50/5 (sheet 36)[1]
Character Model Sheet nameDolf's Moeder[2]
Name in different languages
Dutch nameMiriam Merel[3] / Esther[4]
Japanese nameニコルの妻 (Nikoru no tsuma) Nicol's wife[5]
German nameKra Mutter[6]
English nameDolf's mother
Miriam Merel's character design appears in episodes beyond episode 5, which should not be possible as her son, Dolf de Kraai, mentions to Alfred Jodocus Kwak that his mother is dead.[7] As many character designs are re-used frequently in other episodes, this is most likely a continuation of that trend rather than a part of Miriam's story.

Miriam Merel[3], or Esther[4] is a fictional character who is the mother of Dolf de Kraai and husband of Schor de Kraai. She is almost always referred to as "Dolf's mother", for example in the Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak book, but she get a name in two different books; she is called Miriam Merel in De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak and Esther in the Dutch version of Alfred J. Kwak Mijn avontuurlijke leven, but stays unnamed in the original German version.

After moving from Breed Rietland to Groot Waterland she loses her life as she is coaxed into flying into the Stompe Toren. She is believed to have committed suicide.[7][8]

Appearance

Miriam is a dark feathered thrush with a small yellow beak and greying hair wrapped up in to a bun on each side of her face. She has an hourglass figure and small stature. Her eyes have big eyelashes.

In the only instance we see her in, she wears a Bavarian inspired outfit, similar to her husband Schor de Kraai. She wears a dirndl, which is a dress traditionally worn by women and girls in some Alpine regions of Austria, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.[9] The outfit consists of a bodice, skirt and blouse, but is missing the classical apron. The bodice is dark with yellow rims and a deep neckline. On her character sheet there are flowers embroidered onto it, however these aren't visible in the episode she appears in and instead she has red dots over the back of it. The skirt is dark red with a lighter red underskirt. The blouse is white with frilly edges and puffed shoulders. She also wears a traditional hat with a red pompom on it.[10]

Sketches for Miriam's character sheet with the word dirndl on it to reference the clothing. She appears here without a hat and the flowers on her bodice are real instead of embroidered.

Personality

Miriam in the animated series follows her husband, Schor de Kraai's resentment of others and judges Anna van de Polder and Johan Sebastiaan Kwak's eggs. She's cynical about others, but uplifts herself and Schor.[11]

In the book De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak Miriam is portrayed as having a very troubled relationship with the domineering Schor. Schor was contemptuous towards Miriam for having her deliver a colored child. Miriam also struggled with bouts of depression and disillusionment with her situation, becoming frail and mentally unstable.[12]

Henk de Mol recalls that she used to sing lullabies to her son, Dolf de Kraai, but as her emotional state deteriorated she stopped.[13]

Storyline

Woman wearing dirndl with spring flowers.

In episode 1 she joins her husband in his diatribe of Johan Sebastiaan Kwak and Anna van de Polder's eggs and comes off quite combative herself. She seems to just default to agree-ing with Schor de Kraai as even at the end they speak in unison when Anna comes back and asks what is wrong.[11]

In the book De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak Schor brought her to Anna and Johan's nest to show her a better nest as she was only able to lay one egg. Miriam was deeply troubled about this, pleading to go back to her son Dolf de Kraai who was all alone.[12]

Her relationship with Schor continued to deteriorate, as well as her own mental state, as they moved to Groot Waterland. There Miriam mental problems continued to escalate, as Schor wasn't taking up any sort of work. Her son would hardly acknowledge his mother, constantly asking when his father would be back. And when Schor got back he would hit his son repeatedly.[14] Miriam's depression only angered Schor, and he encouraged her to commit suicide.[14]

During the winter, when Dolf was still in kindergarten, Schor invited Miriam for a flight over Polderstad, an unfamiliar airspace to Miriam, then exploited her in her weakened state and directed her to crash into the Stompe Toren, killing her. According to Henk de Mol, Mollie de Ooievaar was the only witness. Afterwards he claimed that Miriam had deliberately flown into the tower, and this account became the prevailing belief in Polderstad.[8]

Miriam Merel and her husband Schor de Kraai confronting Johan Sebastiaan Kwak about his eggs, with a claw from Rap de Kiekendief, from the book De wonderlijke avonturen van de eend Alfred Jodocus Kwak: Goedemorgen

Voice actors

Japanese ¦ 鈴木 れい子 (Reiko Suzuki) ¦ ニコルの妻 (Nikoru no tsuma) Nicol's wife
Dutch ¦ Doris Baaten ¦ Miriam Merel
German ¦ Eva Maria Miner ¦ Mutter Kra
English ¦ Unknown ¦ Dolf's mother

Appearances

TV Series

Audio

Books

Production background

Miriam gets her name from the book De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak, but she gets a different name in the translated version of Alfred J. Kwak : mein abenteuerliches Leben, Alfred Jodocus Kwak - Mijn avontuurlijke leven, namely Esther. It is unknown why there is a discrepancy, but because a considerable amount of the former book is dedicated to fleshing out this character, the Miriam Merel name has taken precedence.

Miriam Merel's character design can be found on sheet 36 of the Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak book under the name "Dolf's Moeder" (lit. "Dolf's Mother"). According to her sheet she was set to appear in episode 5 and episode 6. In the final product she was instead only featured in episode 1 as Dolf's mother. On the sketch for the character design for Miriam, the word "dirndl" is written next to her, relating to the inspiration for her clothing.

Her character design reused for other characters in episode 6 in the audience, episode 11 as a random passerby in the beginning of the episode, and episode 27 as a passenger traveling on the same train as Alfred.

Miriam Merel's character design from the Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak book.

Notes


References

  1. ↑ Siepermann, Harald; Bacher, Hans (1988). Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak. Duesseldorf - West-Germany.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ Siepermann, Harald; Bacher, Hans (1988). Character- and Color-Designs for Alfred J. Kwak. Duesseldorf - West-Germany.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 van Veen, Herman; Holzhaus, Hanneke (1991). De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak [Alfred Jodocus Kwak's Dream] (in Nederlands). Soest, the Netherlands: Harlekijn, Westbroek. ISBN 9063860862. Miriam is named in this book on page 92
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Herman van Veen (1991). Alfred J. Kwak - Mijn avontuurlijke leven [Alfred J. Kwak - My adventurous life] (in Nederlands). Translated by Bromet, Rosa. Schoten: Uitgeverij Westland. ISBN 9789026103285. Page 14
  5. ↑ "アルフレッド誕生 (Arufureddo tanjō)" [The birth of Alfred]. Alfred J. Kwak. Season 1. Episode 1. 1989-04-03. TV Tokyo. Named like this in the end credits.
  6. ↑ van Veen, Herman (1990). Alfred J. Kwak 1 - Hurra, Er Ist Da! / Böse Überraschung [Alfred J. Kwak 1 - Hooray, he's here! / Bad Surprise] (Cassette tape). Karussel audio cassettes (in Deutsch). Leipzig: Karussell. 843 500-4. In the credits list.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "ドルフの秘密 (Dorufu no himitsu)" [Dolf's secret]. Alfred J. Kwak. Season 1. Episode 5. 1989-05-01. TV Tokyo.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 van Veen, Herman; Holzhaus, Hanneke (1991). De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak [Alfred Jodocus Kwak's Dream] (in Nederlands). Soest, the Netherlands: Harlekijn, Westbroek. ISBN 9063860862. Page 119-121
  9. ↑ Anette Dralle & Christiane Mackenzie (eds.): Standardwörterbuch Plus Englisch mit Wörterbuch-App: Englisch-Deutsch, Deutsch-Englisch, PONS, Stuttgart, 2019, p. 714.
  10. ↑ DW Euromaxx (2021-03-30). German Stereotypes: The Dirndl, Humor And German Efficiency | Meet the Germans. Retrieved 2025-04-26 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "アルフレッド誕生 (Arufureddo tanjō)" [The birth of Alfred]. Alfred J. Kwak. Season 1. Episode 1. 1989-04-03. TV Tokyo.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 van Veen, Herman; Holzhaus, Hanneke (1991). De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak [Alfred Jodocus Kwak's Dream] (in Nederlands). Soest, the Netherlands: Harlekijn, Westbroek. ISBN 9063860862. Pages 93-94
  13. ↑ van Veen, Herman; Holzhaus, Hanneke (1991). De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak [Alfred Jodocus Kwak's Dream] (in Nederlands). Soest, the Netherlands: Harlekijn, Westbroek. ISBN 9063860862. Page 119
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 van Veen, Herman; Holzhaus, Hanneke (1991). De Droom van Alfred Jodocus Kwak [Alfred Jodocus Kwak's Dream] (in Nederlands). Soest, the Netherlands: Harlekijn, Westbroek. ISBN 9063860862. Page 118
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