What is redrum?

Redrum

Redrum is simply "murder" spelled backward. It gained widespread notoriety as a key plot device in Stephen King's novel The Shining.

  • Origin: Its use in The Shining cemented its place in popular culture. The word is a manifestation of Danny Torrance's psychic abilities and foreshadows the violence to come.

  • Significance in The Shining: Danny repeatedly sees and hears "redrum" which is initially incomprehensible to him. Eventually, he understands it's a warning about his father, Jack Torrance, and the murder he is destined to commit.

  • Cultural Impact: Due to the book and Stanley Kubrick's's film adaptation, "redrum" has become a common shorthand for impending doom, madness, or a hidden violent secret. It is often used in horror contexts as an immediately recognizable allusion to The Shining.