How Old Was Tarzan When He Met Jane

Alright, gather 'round, folks. We're about to dive into the jungle and solve a mystery that's been puzzling fans for decades. You know Tarzan, right? The guy who swings from vines, talks to apes, and has more pecs than a six-pack store. Well, today, we're asking: just how old was he when he met Jane?

First things first, let's set the scene.

Tarzan's story begins in the late 19th century. His parents, Lord and Lady Greystoke, are shipwrecked off the coast of Africa. Little John Clayton III (that's Tarzan to you) is born in the jungle, raised by apes, and grows up to be the king of the jungle. Now, picture this: a young, strapping lad, swinging through the trees, grunting in his native language of 'Ape-ish', and looking like he's stepped straight out of a Calvin Klein ad. Yeah, that Tarzan.

Now, let's talk about Jane.

Jane Porter, the love of Tarzan's life, is a whole different story. She's a young, intelligent, and adventurous American woman who arrives in Africa in her late teens. She's part of an expedition led by her father, Professor Archimedes Q. Porter. Jane is no damsel in distress, mind you. She's a skilled hunter, a crack shot, and she's got more spunk than a room full of firecrackers.

So, when does our jungle Romeo meet his Juliet? It's in Edgar Rice Burroughs' second Tarzan novel, 'The Return of Tarzan', published in 1913. But here's the thing: Burroughs never actually tells us Tarzan's age. He just describes him as 'a young giant, naked, save for a loin cloth'. Not exactly helpful, huh?

So, how old was he?

Well, folks, this is where things get interesting. Burroughs' editor, Robert Davis, claimed that Tarzan was around 21 when he met Jane. But here's the kicker: Davis wasn't even born when the first Tarzan novel was published. So, take that with a grain of salt.

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Now, let's do some detective work. We know Tarzan was born around 1888, based on the timeline of his parents' shipwreck. If we assume he met Jane around 1912 or 1913, that would make him... drumroll please... around 24 or 25 years old. Not too shabby for a jungle-raised hunk, huh?

But wait, there's more!

Here's where things get even weirder. In some versions of the story, Tarzan is actually older when he meets Jane. In the 1932 film 'Tarzan the Ape Man', for instance, he's played by Johnny Weissmuller, who was 28 at the time. And in the 1984 film 'Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes', he's played by Christopher Lambert, who was 31. Talk about a silver fox!

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But here's the thing: none of these ages are canon. Burroughs never gave us a definitive answer. So, the mystery remains. Was Tarzan a strapping young lad when he met Jane? Or was he a jungle-ripened hunk? The truth is out there, folks. Somewhere in the dense, vine-covered jungle of Edgar Rice Burroughs' imagination.

Why does it even matter?

Well, folks, it doesn't. Not really. But isn't that the beauty of it? Tarzan is a myth, a legend, a symbol of our collective desire to escape the civilized world and live wild and free. And isn't it more fun to imagine him as a young, vital force of nature, rather than a middle-aged jungle dweller?

So, the next time you're swinging from a rope (or just imagining you are), remember: Tarzan was probably in his mid-twenties when he met Jane. But who knows? Maybe he was older. Maybe younger. Maybe he was ageless, a timeless symbol of our connection to the wild. And isn't that the real magic of Tarzan?