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Spoiler Cultural and Mythical Inspiration Behind SS.

Feral

The Drifter
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
While playing this game I noticed a lot of interesting references from Japanese/Asian culture and mythology. You can discuss what you've seen on this in the game.

First off, SS Zelda's design and role is based off a miko. (Shrine maiden) She has the stylized miko hair and purifies herself in scared waters.

Amber and ancient relics are magatamas.

The sealing spike and directional slashes used to seal it are based on exorcism practices of Onmyouji.

I first posted in the Ghirahim theory thread about this topic but it only pertained to Ghirahim. ( I wrote that he was probably a sword Tsukumogami. These are demons/spirits that are old inanimate objects. Interestingly enough there are variations where this type of demon has the ability to manifest and control eyeballs in shadow. Maybe this is related to Vaati? )

Earth Temple and Ancient Cistern are decorated like Buddhist monasteries. Earth Temple reminds me particularly of the ones from Thailand.

Kabuto beetle collecting/ wrestling is a popular hobby with the boys in Japan.

More to come later.
 
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PureLocke

A Hero of Time
Joined
Apr 14, 2010
Location
Anchorage, Alaska (Nome in the summer)
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Seems like Demise would be much more in-line with Amatsu-Mikaboshi, not an oni. Just going off that he's spoken of as a primordial evil, haven't finished the game yet. Bokoblin are pretty oni-like though, they come in red and blue sometimes have big iron clubs, wear underwear made out of big cat skins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amatsu-Mikaboshi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni_(folklore)

Well, yeah. Appearance-wise, Demise looks like an oni - not the stereotypical ones, of course, to which the Bokoblins bear likeness; in my opinion. However, role-wise he's definitely in-line with Amatsu-Mikaboshi. After all, Demise's Japanese name is Shuuen no Mono, which roughly translates to "(person) of Demise (the End)." Amatsu-Mikaboshi has been referred to as "God of Evil", so they definitely draw parallels. With that, I agree.

Hmm... Slightly off-topic: Could the Sacred Realm draw parallels with Takagamahara, the dwelling of the Kami? This could mean the Golden Goddesses are analogous with several Kami - probably Ukanomitama no mikoto, Omiyame no mikoto, and Sarutahiko no mikami. They represent grain, water, and land, respectively.
 

Shadsie

Sage of Tales
I didn't know the slashes resembled an exorcism ritual. I just thought they related to the Triforce (being in triangular patterns, and the second pattern resembles an hourglass). I *did* notice that the amber and dusk relics looked like magatama, and I knew about the love (not just in Japan, but many parts of Asia, according to the Travel Channel) of collecting and grooming beetles for fighting - and well, kids all over the world like playing with/collecting bugs.
 

Ronin

There you are! You monsters!
Forum Volunteer
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Feb 8, 2011
Location
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So it seems Nintendo brought in their own cultures--as well as those belonging to their Far-East cousins in Asia--and integrated them into the game, moreso than most other traditions. For example, just walking into the foyer of the Ancient Cistern I noted the giant statue of a gentle man who appeared to be receiving something? I'm not at all rehearsed on the gestures of that area of the world, but I could tell the colossus was designed to be taken after Buddha. In addition, the ornamentation on the walls of the Earth Temple looked very much like Asian temples. It fascinates me to no end on how our own world influences the Legend of Zelda.
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Something I've noticed in the Zelda series, particularly Skyward Sword, is that it prominently features animism, the belief that inanimate objects are spiritual beings. That is to say, they have souls. Animism is a prominent feature in the traditional religion known as Shinto in Japan. In SS, Fi is essentially the spirit (soul) of the Goddess Sword (now Master Sword). There are other cases seen in the series, including the Fairy of the Gale Boomerang (TP).

So it seems Nintendo brought in their own cultures--as well as those belonging to their Far-East cousins in Asia--and integrated them into the game, moreso than most other traditions. For example, just walking into the foyer of the Ancient Cistern I noted the giant statue of a gentle man who appeared to be receiving something? I'm not at all rehearsed on the gestures of that area of the world, but I could tell the colossus was designed to be taken after Buddha. In addition, the ornamentation on the walls of the Earth Temple looked very much like Asian temples. It fascinates me to no end on how our own world influences the Legend of Zelda.

Speaking again of the Ancient Cistern, it appears to me that the Furnix, the phoenix-like avian enemy, might have been inspired not only by the phoenix, but the Fenghuang of Chinese mythology.
 
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Feral

The Drifter
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
I didn't know the slashes resembled an exorcism ritual. I just thought they related to the Triforce (being in triangular patterns, and the second pattern resembles an hourglass). I *did* notice that the amber and dusk relics looked like magatama, and I knew about the love (not just in Japan, but many parts of Asia, according to the Travel Channel) of collecting and grooming beetles for fighting - and well, kids all over the world like playing with/collecting bugs.

Yeah, the slashes are related to the Triforce in the game, but the gesture is obviously adapted from using cuts in the air to form a pentagram during a exorcism since they are sealing a great demon with a sacred spike. Since Link is using the master sword there's probably Taoism influence as well.

Something I've noticed in the Zelda series, particularly Skyward Sword, is that it prominently features animism, the belief that inanimate objects are spiritual beings. That is to say, they have souls. Animism is a prominent feature in the traditional religion known as Shinto in Japan. In SS, Fi is essentially the spirit (soul) of the Goddess Sword (now Master Sword). There are other cases seen in the series, including the Fairy of the Gale Boomerang (TP).



Speaking again of the Ancient Cistern, it appears to me that the Furnix, the phoenix-like avian enemy, might have been inspired not only by the phoenix, but the Fenghuang of Chinese mythology.

Fairy creatures/ yokai in Chinese Taoism, Japanese Onmyōdō, are similar. It's possible for an animal, person, or object to gain powers through hundred years of training (existence?) to become either a yokai (corrupt), a fairy or god (good). Usually the pets or belonging of these fairy gods or yokai have powers of their own allowing them to become either a yokai or a fairy. (So this would explain Ghirahim and Fi and maybe the great fairy. :eek:) These beings can also be reincarnated.
 
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Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Fairy creatures/ yokai in Chinese Taoism, Japanese Onmyōdō, are similar. It's possible for an animal, person, or object to gain powers through hundred years of training (existence?) to become either a yokai (corrupt), a fairy or god (good). Usually the pets or belonging of these fairy gods or yokai have powers of their own allowing them to become either a yokai or a fairy. (So this would explain Ghirahim and Fi and maybe the great fairy. :eek:) These beings can also be reincarnated.

Yeah, but it seems to tie into animism, when you consider the fact that the Master Sword - an inanimate object - has a soul (in a way.) The beings and characters of the Zelda series, particularly SS, can have multiple sources of inspiration.
 
L

leavy101

Guest
well right of the bat, I want to say that the first thing I thought when saw Demise was that he looked like Akuma from Street fighter. Also it was my understanding that, thematically, the Zelda series has always drawn heavily from Taoist and Buddhist thought. It seems a natural progression for that to begin to show in the art style of the games. I also got a slight Pre-Colombian american feel from some of the set design. i saw much of the plains Indians in the way the buildings in Skyloft were decorated and the use of cloth. The manner in which buildings and houses were built on top of each other and set into the terrain reminded me much of the native Americans of the southwest. i also notices some central and south american influences. the idea of skyloft as a city in the clouds is extremely similar to Machu Picchu. I saw this also in both the temples in the Eldin region.
 

Shadsie

Sage of Tales
I don't want anyone to hate me for bringing this up because of our happy Eastern-culture party here, but I found something in this game to be possibly-inspired by but probably unintentionally "Christian."

Hylia was a goddesss who, in order to save her people from ultimate evil/death gave up her godhood for a mortal incarnation.

Hmm! It makes me wonder if the folks at Nintendo were going through world mythology and decided to give a little nod to western / middle-eastern religion concept that they thought was cool. It's not like god-incarnates are uncommon in world mythology, but it still makes me wonder in light of how Nintendo used crosses and churches in the very early Zelda games.

(I want to make it clear here that I'm not accusing anyone at Nintendo of Japan of being Christian, I'm just saying that they might have heard or read certain stories and thought "Awesomesauce. A concept like this might be fun to put in a game").

I also have a very weird recent post on my blog where I found Zelda's description of the Triforce's role in existance in the game to be similar to Judeo-Christian theological arguments I've been in regarding the concept of Free Will (but unlike the other example, I *know* that's just me being weird). Can link upon request - but really, my stupid blog is in my sig, search if you want.
 

Feral

The Drifter
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
Yeah, but it seems to tie into animism, when you consider the fact that the Master Sword - an inanimate object - has a soul (in a way.) The beings and characters of the Zelda series, particularly SS, can have multiple sources of inspiration.

I'm not disagreeing with you since animism is part of both beliefs it just that I wanna point out what the devs might be thinking. Its obvious they have many sources of inspiration not just from Asian culture it's just stronger in SS then some of the other Zelda titles. (They merged different ideas of fairies from Eastern and Western myth.)

While I'm here I also think the some of the clothing style and motifs the Skyloft people wear are similar to what the Ainu people of Japan wear.

@Shadsie

Actually I'm sure the peeps at Nintendo are good with comparative mythology. The title of this thread of this thread is "Cultural and Mythical Inspiration Behind SS." I actually never limited it to just Asian cultures. I just mentioned what I noticed in the starting post. If any of you notice other things and wanna share, do so. Its interesting to see what other people see in this.
 
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Shadsie

Sage of Tales
Here is my blog post about the thing I noticed (see: read into) with the nature of of the Triforce (in Skyward specifically) -

http://sparrowmilk.blogspot.com/2011/12/thoughts-focused-skyward.html

Warning: Contains disscussion of Christian theology, albiet light. I'm in a weird position - I'm a kind of loose, spiritual without needing church, questioning "liberal," universalist-leaning, somewhat-agnostic-sometimes Christian (the kind that some say isn't "really Christian") so sometimes I wonder if I really am anymore, yet I can rattle off chapter, verse, doctrine and list various interpretations of Bible verses and Christian concepts fit to make you think I was a Divinity student. The result is that I see parallels everywhere and often find more "Christianity" (concepts that drew me to the religion in the first place) in secular media than in most "Christian" media. (I have a post about that, too).

Then again, I've seen enough anime and read enough little tidbits about Japanese culture that I'll go "Oh, that's like a kami!" out of the blue on various things I see even in Western media.

I seem to remember feeling kind of bad harrasing the Furnix (es?) in the Ancient Cistern just because I remembered something about how the Feng birds from Chinese lore to be birds of immortality with auspicious aspects. I wondered if I was slaying holy creatures. Then again, in the original game, the Aquamentus is obviously a Ki-Rin, which may be just as bad.
 

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