Hammer-Heads' Prohibition

The Hammer-Heads' Prohibition is a territorial rule enforced by the armless, flat-headed creatures of the Hammer-Head Mountain, who violently prevent any traveler from crossing their hill to reach the Quadling Country.

Definition and Enforcement

The Hammer-Heads are a race of strange, armless men who inhabit a steep hill covered with great pieces of rock, located between the Great Forest and the Country of the Quadlings. Each has a big head, flat at the top, supported by a thick neck full of wrinkles. Their method of enforcement is unique and brutal: they can shoot their heads forward on their elongated necks with lightning speed, using the flat top of the head as a battering ram to strike intruders and send them tumbling back down the hill. When the Scarecrow first attempts to cross, a Hammer-Head's head strikes him in the middle and sends him rolling over and over down the slope. The Cowardly Lion, angered by the laughter that follows, charges up the hill only to be struck by another shooting head and sent rolling down as if hit by a cannon ball. The prohibition is absolute: a voice from behind the first rock declares, "This hill belongs to us, and we don't allow anyone to cross it." Hundreds of Hammer-Heads are positioned one behind every rock, ready to enforce the rule.

Narrative Significance

The Hammer-Heads' Prohibition represents the final physical obstacle on Dorothy's journey to Glinda's castle. It proves insurmountable by direct force or cleverness, as neither the Scarecrow's reasoning nor the Lion's roar can overcome the creatures' coordinated defense. The Tin Woodman recognizes this futility, stating, "It is useless to fight people with shooting heads; no one can withstand them." This forces Dorothy to use the last of the three commands granted by the Golden Cap, summoning the Winged Monkeys to carry the entire party over the hill. The Hammer-Heads yell with vexation and shoot their heads high in the air, but they cannot reach the flying monkeys. The prohibition thus serves as the catalyst for Dorothy's final use of the Cap's magic, leading directly to her audience with Glinda and the revelation of the Silver Shoes' power to return her to Kansas.