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shadowkatEvery Definition I could Find on the Net relating to the word Canon:
1. The Dreaded Literary Canon or how I learned to hate the word:
The term "literary canon" refers to a classification of literature. It is a term used widely to refer to a group of literary works that are considered the most important of a particular time period or place. For example, there can be a literary canon comprised of works from a particular country, or works written within a specific set of years, or even a collection of works that were all written during a certain time period and within a certain region. In this way, a literary canon establishes a collection of similar or related literary works.
Of course, there are many ways in which literary works can be classified, but the literary canon seems to apply a certain validity or authority to a work of literature. When a work is entered into the canon, thus canonized, it gains status as an official inclusion into a group of literary works that are widely studied and respected. Those who decide whether a work will be canonized include influential literary critics, scholars, teachers, and anyone whose opinions and judgments regarding a literary work are also widely respected. For this reason, there are no rigid qualifications for canonization, and whether a work will be canonized remains a subjective decision.
The Literary Canon is the reason why English Lit majors aren't allowed to write their thesis on works such as Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer Comics, but can do it on something like Alan Moore's The Watchman. In times past, a legitimate critique of the Literary Canon was a tendency to veer towards works created mainly by "white men" - such as say John Updike as opposed to Toni Morrison.
But as the above link notes - literary canon changes over time and does not stay stagnant.
2. According to the American Heritage Dictionary
http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/canon/defcan.html
canon" that appear in the American Heritage Dictionary:
*an ecclesiastical law or code of laws established by a church council;
*a secular law, rule, or code of law;
*a basis for judgment, standard, criterion;
*the books of the Bible officially recognized by the Church;
*Often capital C. the part of the Mass beginning after the Sanctus and ending just before the Lord's prayer;
*the calendar of saints accepted by the Roman Catholic Church;
*an authoritative list, as of the works of an author;
*Music. a composition or passage in which the same melody is repeated by one or more voices, overlapping in time in the same or a related key;
*Printing. a size of type, 48-point;
*one of a chapter of priests serving in a cathedral or collegiate church;
*a member of a religious community living under common rules and bound by vows.
3. The Western Canon according to Wiki: The Western canon is a term used to denote a canon of books, and, more widely, music and art, that has been the most influential in shaping Western culture. It asserts a compendium of the "greatest works of artistic merit." Such a canon is important to the theory of educational perennialism and the development of "high culture." Although previously held in high regard, it has been the subject of increasing contention through the latter half of the 20th century. In practice, debates and attempts to actually define the Canon in lists are essentially restricted to books of various sorts: Literature, including Poetry, Fiction and Drama, autobiographical writings and Letters, Philosophy and History. A few accessible books on the Sciences are usually included.
a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy;
"the neoclassical ...a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter
canyon: a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall
a contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts
a complete list of saints that have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church
a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
A canon (from the Latin canonicus, itself derived from the Greek κανωνικος 'relating to a rule') is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule (canon).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(priest)
A canon is a structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services. It consists of nine odes, sometimes called canticles or songs depending on the translation, based on the Biblical canticles. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(hymnography)
Canon, in terms of a fictional universe, is any material that is considered to be "genuine", or can be directly referenced as material produced by the original author or creator of a series. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(fiction)
An accepted rule or principle.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(Sociology)
A canyon, or gorge, is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cañon
Evernight Games are one of the earliest providers of online browser-based games.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(game)
Canon is a retrospective album by Ani DiFranco which was released on September 11, 2007. It contains songs covering her career to date. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(album)
The Star Wars canon consists of the six Star Wars feature films, along with all officially licensed, non-contradicting spin-off works to the six films. As once defined by Lucas Licensing: When the Star Wars saga began, there was no initial formal organization of canon. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(Star_Wars)
The Star Trek canon is usually defined as comprising the television series , ', ', ', ', and the motion pictures in the franchise. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(Star_Trek)
5. Wiki definition : A canon, in terms of a fictional universe, is a body of material that is considered to be "genuine" or "official", that can be directly referenced as, or as if it were, material produced by the original author or creator of a series. New works set within that universe are ostensibly constrained to be consistent with pre-existing canon, though the issue is somewhat complicated by several factors: pre-existing canon itself may also be subject to retcon, for instance, and some licensed works, such as movie or television novelizations or spin-off novels, may not be considered "canonical" by some. Additionally, adaptations of a work into other formats, such as feature film or television, may be considered either non-canonical, or forming a separate canon; and consistency with prior canon is not sufficient in and of itself to make a work "canonical" - fan fiction, for instance, often follows the original pre-existing canon but is not part of the canon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(fiction)
6. Legal Definition: "A rule or standard of conduct, in the form of a general maxim, adopted by a professional organization to guide the conduct of its members. See also Model Rules of Professional Conduct."
7. Canon as Defined by Fanfic Writers List of Fanfiction Terms defines canon as:
"Canon (derived from the term's usage in the Christian religion and popularized in this context by the Baker Street Irregulars) refers to the "official" source material upon which fan fiction can be based. In recent years, some fandoms have engaged in lengthy debate over what is or is not "canon", usually due to multiple writers in various media creating contradictory source material, such as in metaseries like Doctor Who or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
It is important to note that something that is regarded as "canon" is regarded as being essentially a verifiable fact in the given fandom. Details as complex as the laws of physics in a given story universe or as minute as how a character's name is meant to be spelled can be referred to as "canon" details, so long as they are specifically shown or otherwise directly revealed in the source material; this includes character behavior as well, though debate over what can or cannot be considered "canon behavior" is often a point of contention in fandom. On occasion, authors (such as Joss Whedon[1] or JK Rowling[2]) also expand on what is shown in the original story in other media, especially personal websites or blogs. Comments on the nature of a story or character directly from the creator are often considered statements of "canon"."
In short, "canon" in the context of fan fiction is both the accepted "official" material itself, and a concept or detail promoted by the original work and/or in accepted "official" material.
According to Fan History Wiki: "Canon is the text of a book, minutes of a movie, pages of a manga, seasons of a television show, or hours of a video game that fanfiction writers base their stories on. Canon is sometimes debated and occasionally ignored in some fandoms, but canon is the source of the fandom that fan fiction writers write for. "
This site is rather interesting since it lists historical fan definitions of canon dating all the way back to 1999: canon, adj. Refers to facts established by the original fiction. Usually referenced as one might reference a holy text.[1]
Most recent? in 2008: Canon -- refers to elements established by original source material (TV show, book, movie, etc...) itself for either plot, setting, or character developments. The official details, as it were. See also: 'Fanon' [26]
According to the Fan Fiction Dictionary:
Canon - All of the events which *expressly* happen in the fandom. Meaning, everything, person, event, statement, that happens in the show, movie, or book is canon. For example, Megabyte's real name being Marmaduke is canon because it expressly says in Origin Story that it is. Everything that happens in the show is canon. This is sort of used like a law for fan fiction. alternate universes are where an author deliberately ignores, goes against, or stop paying attention to canon in order to create their own canon.
Urban Dictionary defines it as follows:
1.In slang, a word used by those who write fanfiction. It refers to the original body of work that the fanfiction came from.
2.Another word for official. Used quite often in fan fiction to differentiate between the official storyline in which the fan fiction is based on.
3.default pairings, often used to describe pairings in fanfiction that are claimed to be obvious. in other words, a couple that is heavily promoted or suggested in the show.
4.A piece of work -usually in reference to literature- that was written by the original author. Spin-offs, fan fiction, and any work not written by the original author of that fictional universe is considered non-canon.
And there are ones for Kodak Cameras and a body of Jewish text or Torah.
(Oh there's a rather interesting community in lj committed to gathering fandom definitions:
http://community.livejournal.com/theglossary/)
And I rather like this one - the Sarcastic Definition of Canon Fodder:
Canon Fodder: character class. The rather-detailed characters who you are introduced to in a few paragraphs before they die, usually senselessly, randomly, messily and/or cruelly, often to establish some sense of connection to the individual casualties in a steadily-mounting body count. Often found in the horror genre. Canon fodder characters come in a few distinct types: They Deserved It, Really -- Cosmic justice is visited upon these characters with a swift and often gory hand. They are the scum of the earth. They needed killin', and you might even be semi-glad they're dead, but the forces that got them will probably kill again, and this time it might be Someone We Should Care About -- Often heroic, or too-good-to-be-true. Little girls, heroic emergency workers, good, decent people. They are often sacrificed so the readers will know that This Villain Is Hardcore Bad. (Cedric Diggory would be a prime example of this, but we're introduced to him well before he actually does die.) ...
I did not, oddly enough, find one for the type of canon that a canon ball is shot out of, but I may be spelling it wrong.
1. The Dreaded Literary Canon or how I learned to hate the word:
The term "literary canon" refers to a classification of literature. It is a term used widely to refer to a group of literary works that are considered the most important of a particular time period or place. For example, there can be a literary canon comprised of works from a particular country, or works written within a specific set of years, or even a collection of works that were all written during a certain time period and within a certain region. In this way, a literary canon establishes a collection of similar or related literary works.
Of course, there are many ways in which literary works can be classified, but the literary canon seems to apply a certain validity or authority to a work of literature. When a work is entered into the canon, thus canonized, it gains status as an official inclusion into a group of literary works that are widely studied and respected. Those who decide whether a work will be canonized include influential literary critics, scholars, teachers, and anyone whose opinions and judgments regarding a literary work are also widely respected. For this reason, there are no rigid qualifications for canonization, and whether a work will be canonized remains a subjective decision.
The Literary Canon is the reason why English Lit majors aren't allowed to write their thesis on works such as Harry Potter or Buffy The Vampire Slayer Comics, but can do it on something like Alan Moore's The Watchman. In times past, a legitimate critique of the Literary Canon was a tendency to veer towards works created mainly by "white men" - such as say John Updike as opposed to Toni Morrison.
But as the above link notes - literary canon changes over time and does not stay stagnant.
2. According to the American Heritage Dictionary
http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/canon/defcan.html
canon" that appear in the American Heritage Dictionary:
*an ecclesiastical law or code of laws established by a church council;
*a secular law, rule, or code of law;
*a basis for judgment, standard, criterion;
*the books of the Bible officially recognized by the Church;
*Often capital C. the part of the Mass beginning after the Sanctus and ending just before the Lord's prayer;
*the calendar of saints accepted by the Roman Catholic Church;
*an authoritative list, as of the works of an author;
*Music. a composition or passage in which the same melody is repeated by one or more voices, overlapping in time in the same or a related key;
*Printing. a size of type, 48-point;
*one of a chapter of priests serving in a cathedral or collegiate church;
*a member of a religious community living under common rules and bound by vows.
3. The Western Canon according to Wiki: The Western canon is a term used to denote a canon of books, and, more widely, music and art, that has been the most influential in shaping Western culture. It asserts a compendium of the "greatest works of artistic merit." Such a canon is important to the theory of educational perennialism and the development of "high culture." Although previously held in high regard, it has been the subject of increasing contention through the latter half of the 20th century. In practice, debates and attempts to actually define the Canon in lists are essentially restricted to books of various sorts: Literature, including Poetry, Fiction and Drama, autobiographical writings and Letters, Philosophy and History. A few accessible books on the Sciences are usually included.
a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy;
"the neoclassical ...a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter
canyon: a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall
a contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts
a complete list of saints that have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church
a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
A canon (from the Latin canonicus, itself derived from the Greek κανωνικος 'relating to a rule') is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule (canon).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(priest)
A canon is a structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services. It consists of nine odes, sometimes called canticles or songs depending on the translation, based on the Biblical canticles. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(hymnography)
Canon, in terms of a fictional universe, is any material that is considered to be "genuine", or can be directly referenced as material produced by the original author or creator of a series. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(fiction)
An accepted rule or principle.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(Sociology)
A canyon, or gorge, is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cañon
Evernight Games are one of the earliest providers of online browser-based games.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(game)
Canon is a retrospective album by Ani DiFranco which was released on September 11, 2007. It contains songs covering her career to date. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(album)
The Star Wars canon consists of the six Star Wars feature films, along with all officially licensed, non-contradicting spin-off works to the six films. As once defined by Lucas Licensing: When the Star Wars saga began, there was no initial formal organization of canon. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(Star_Wars)
The Star Trek canon is usually defined as comprising the television series , ', ', ', ', and the motion pictures in the franchise. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(Star_Trek)
5. Wiki definition : A canon, in terms of a fictional universe, is a body of material that is considered to be "genuine" or "official", that can be directly referenced as, or as if it were, material produced by the original author or creator of a series. New works set within that universe are ostensibly constrained to be consistent with pre-existing canon, though the issue is somewhat complicated by several factors: pre-existing canon itself may also be subject to retcon, for instance, and some licensed works, such as movie or television novelizations or spin-off novels, may not be considered "canonical" by some. Additionally, adaptations of a work into other formats, such as feature film or television, may be considered either non-canonical, or forming a separate canon; and consistency with prior canon is not sufficient in and of itself to make a work "canonical" - fan fiction, for instance, often follows the original pre-existing canon but is not part of the canon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(fiction)
6. Legal Definition: "A rule or standard of conduct, in the form of a general maxim, adopted by a professional organization to guide the conduct of its members. See also Model Rules of Professional Conduct."
7. Canon as Defined by Fanfic Writers List of Fanfiction Terms defines canon as:
"Canon (derived from the term's usage in the Christian religion and popularized in this context by the Baker Street Irregulars) refers to the "official" source material upon which fan fiction can be based. In recent years, some fandoms have engaged in lengthy debate over what is or is not "canon", usually due to multiple writers in various media creating contradictory source material, such as in metaseries like Doctor Who or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
It is important to note that something that is regarded as "canon" is regarded as being essentially a verifiable fact in the given fandom. Details as complex as the laws of physics in a given story universe or as minute as how a character's name is meant to be spelled can be referred to as "canon" details, so long as they are specifically shown or otherwise directly revealed in the source material; this includes character behavior as well, though debate over what can or cannot be considered "canon behavior" is often a point of contention in fandom. On occasion, authors (such as Joss Whedon[1] or JK Rowling[2]) also expand on what is shown in the original story in other media, especially personal websites or blogs. Comments on the nature of a story or character directly from the creator are often considered statements of "canon"."
In short, "canon" in the context of fan fiction is both the accepted "official" material itself, and a concept or detail promoted by the original work and/or in accepted "official" material.
According to Fan History Wiki: "Canon is the text of a book, minutes of a movie, pages of a manga, seasons of a television show, or hours of a video game that fanfiction writers base their stories on. Canon is sometimes debated and occasionally ignored in some fandoms, but canon is the source of the fandom that fan fiction writers write for. "
This site is rather interesting since it lists historical fan definitions of canon dating all the way back to 1999: canon, adj. Refers to facts established by the original fiction. Usually referenced as one might reference a holy text.[1]
Most recent? in 2008: Canon -- refers to elements established by original source material (TV show, book, movie, etc...) itself for either plot, setting, or character developments. The official details, as it were. See also: 'Fanon' [26]
According to the Fan Fiction Dictionary:
Canon - All of the events which *expressly* happen in the fandom. Meaning, everything, person, event, statement, that happens in the show, movie, or book is canon. For example, Megabyte's real name being Marmaduke is canon because it expressly says in Origin Story that it is. Everything that happens in the show is canon. This is sort of used like a law for fan fiction. alternate universes are where an author deliberately ignores, goes against, or stop paying attention to canon in order to create their own canon.
Urban Dictionary defines it as follows:
1.In slang, a word used by those who write fanfiction. It refers to the original body of work that the fanfiction came from.
2.Another word for official. Used quite often in fan fiction to differentiate between the official storyline in which the fan fiction is based on.
3.default pairings, often used to describe pairings in fanfiction that are claimed to be obvious. in other words, a couple that is heavily promoted or suggested in the show.
4.A piece of work -usually in reference to literature- that was written by the original author. Spin-offs, fan fiction, and any work not written by the original author of that fictional universe is considered non-canon.
And there are ones for Kodak Cameras and a body of Jewish text or Torah.
(Oh there's a rather interesting community in lj committed to gathering fandom definitions:
http://community.livejournal.com/theglossary/)
And I rather like this one - the Sarcastic Definition of Canon Fodder:
Canon Fodder: character class. The rather-detailed characters who you are introduced to in a few paragraphs before they die, usually senselessly, randomly, messily and/or cruelly, often to establish some sense of connection to the individual casualties in a steadily-mounting body count. Often found in the horror genre. Canon fodder characters come in a few distinct types: They Deserved It, Really -- Cosmic justice is visited upon these characters with a swift and often gory hand. They are the scum of the earth. They needed killin', and you might even be semi-glad they're dead, but the forces that got them will probably kill again, and this time it might be Someone We Should Care About -- Often heroic, or too-good-to-be-true. Little girls, heroic emergency workers, good, decent people. They are often sacrificed so the readers will know that This Villain Is Hardcore Bad. (Cedric Diggory would be a prime example of this, but we're introduced to him well before he actually does die.) ...
I did not, oddly enough, find one for the type of canon that a canon ball is shot out of, but I may be spelling it wrong.
