Canonicity

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Revision as of 01:45, 26 November 2022 by SOTO (talk | contribs) (Fixing up phrasing. I don't have it in me right now, but that first line in the BTS should really be telling us what canon actually *means*. There's a few interesting angles to get into, but at least a simple explanation would be good background for the more uninformed reader. (Especially with more meta articles, this is our opportunity to start at the beginning for the uninitiated.))
You may be looking for real world concept or this Wiki's policy on canon.

Canonicity, also called canon, was a concept that determined whether or not a certain source (such as a religious or fictional text) could count as a proper part of a greater whole; this concept was used by humans on Earth, whether they be practitioners of Christianity (AUDIO: The Council of Nicaea) or fans of the fictional adventures of Iris Wildthyme. (PROSE: From Wildthyme with Love)

However, many individuals within the Doctor's universe actually questioned the canonicity of either their own adventures or those experienced by others, (AUDIO: Doctor Who and the Pirates, PROSE: Lady Peinforte, WC: The Story of the Diary of River Song) with the Time Lords even having a Tower of Canonicity. (PROSE: The Blue Angel)

Usage

On Earth

Religious canon

In 325, the Council of Nicaea (to which the Fifth Doctor bore witness alongside companions Erimem and Peri) saw a gathering of the greatest scholars and leaders of 4th century Christianity to debate and solidify the reaches of biblical canon, showing the concept was applied by humans to religion. (AUDIO: The Council of Nicaea)

Fictional canon

Panda found out about the spin-offs from the Iris Wildthyme series from "super-fan" who "hardly knew what was canonical". (PROSE: From Wildthyme with Love)

The information contained on the TARDIS Wiki influenced Lady Peinforte's search for information on the Doctor and the canonicity of information she could find. (PROSE: Lady Peinforte)

By Time Lords and other time travellers

Canonicity was seemingly of interest to the Time Lords, as there existed a Tower of Canonicity in the Capitol, twin to the Tower of Likelihood. (PROSE: The Blue Angel)

The Sixth Doctor once expressed doubt on whether something to do with Hecate (about which he didn't elaborate) was "canonical". (AUDIO: Doctor Who and the Pirates)

The adventures experienced by River Song where she met her adoptive mother, her "sort-of" sisters, and various incarnations of the Master (including the War Master and Missy) were "probably" canonical. (WC: The Story of the Diary of River Song)

Behind the scenes

  • In the real world, canon is (as detailed on this page) a concept originally concerning religious texts, and later more widely applied to works of fiction, beginning with the tradition of Sherlock Holmes.
    • That the Time Lords and others such as the Sixth Doctor and River Song, whom are fictional characters, would thus consider canonicity a genuine property of their (fictional) universe, on par with "likelihood", should therefore be read as a borderline-fourth-wall-breaking, metafictional joke.

Information from invalid sources

This section's awfully stubby.

Information from NOTVALID: Who on Earth is... Beep the Meep needs to be added.

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