While gamers around the world are busy debating the fun of courier simulators and whether Kojima is a genius, people with more specific interests, like myself, are busy exploring the cultural value of the game. The new Death Stranding is replete with many references, subtexts and ideas. Let someone more competent talk about the deeper meaning, but today my goal is to talk about the mythological archetypes that I was able to notice. In this regard, I warn you that the article will contain spoilers, manifestations of SRSG and subjective opinion. Have a nice reading!
Discussions about death are perhaps one of those phenomena that unites people of all times and peoples. Humanity stubbornly refuses to think that after a certain point “gameover” occurs and the loss of all progress. In the mythology of different nations, there is almost always some invisible “other world” where the deceased go: Heaven and Hell, Hades, Helheim, Valhalla, Duat, etc.d. In one there are endless heroic battles, in the other – an abundance of entertainment, in the third – peaceful nothingness. You can find many differences between them, but they have one thing in common – you can get there only when the time comes and it is impossible to return the same. Death Stranding offers us a common version of the afterlife, where souls separated from the body live and where there are no people who want to get there quickly.
The Egyptian understanding of the soul migrated into the game, albeit in an original, but incomplete form. It’s actually a little more complicated. Let’s figure it out.
The human essence is made up of two components: Ka And Khat (Ha – in the game). Ka – the personification of life force, the otherworldly double of man, the immortal soul. Khat – physical body, vessel. Besides them there are also Ba, Ab, Khaibit, Khu, Sekhem, Ren, Sahu and Ah.
Ba – the soul of the heart that lives in heaven with the gods.
Khaibit – shadow associated with Ba.
Ab – the heart, the source of good and evil, human consciousness. It was Ab that was evaluated at the court of Osiris, and the result determined what fate awaited the deceased in the Duat.
Sahu – a spiritual body, in other words – mummified remains that contain Khu – also part of the soul.
Sekhem – life force distinct from Ka and Ba. She is the power and magic of the gods.
Oh – a combination of Ka and Ba, a pure spirit that was able to find peace.
Ren – Name. Knowing your name and the names of the gods, spirits and every cog in the stool in the palace of Osiris gave an additional advantage to the survivor in another world. Otherwise, why are there so many complex words in this paragraph?.
As you can see, death was taken very seriously in ancient Egypt. For them, life was not real existence, but a rehearsal for true existence on the other side. Unfortunately, this idea was not reflected in the game. The afterlife of Kojima, for the sake of modern ideas, is an unfriendly place and greedy for new inhabitants. Looks like hell is rubber after all.
3. Masks and amulets
No religious movement can do without a variety of objects. Since ancient times, otherworldly phenomena have received their own signs and symbols. Therefore, crosses, icons, figurines, amulets, tattoos are inherent in almost any belief. They are not only a reflection of the divine in reality, but also help like-minded people get to know each other. One of the most popular objects in many cultures is the image of a person or some part of him.
Masks – a multifunctional item that has been used since ancient times both in everyday life and for rituals and holidays. The main functions of a mask are to show something (for example, funeral masks in Egypt were intended to preserve an image of the face of the deceased for posterity) and to hide (protect) the face. The phrase "wearing a mask" often means "hiding the truth".
There are two distinctive masks you can see in the game – the gold Higgs mask and the black Diehardman mask. Both, one way or another, repeat the shape of a skull, which in turn is a common symbol of danger and death. But the attitude of these characters towards their masks is completely opposite, which makes you think about the difference in their purposes..
dream Catcher – a little thing that only the lazy don’t know exists. An Indian amulet, shaped like a cobweb, catches dreams, curses, evil spirits and other troubles in its net. The circle base signifies infinity, and the threads decorated with feathers release good dreams from the trap. According to legend, a spider taught people how to make dream catchers. If you’re an arachnophobe, beware.
4. Returned from the https://livescorebetcasino.co.uk/bonus/ Other World
In most religions, death is forever. It is almost impossible to return from the other world, except through reincarnation. But if Vasya Pupkin was reborn into a plantain for his merits, it’s still not Vasya Pupkin. However, in many cultures there were legends about those who finally made it out of the afterlife.
The most prominent representative of these lucky ones is the ancient Greek poet and musician Orpheus, for the sake of his beloved wife Eurydice, he descended into the domain of Hades. Unfortunately, despite the fact that his outstanding musical talent allowed him to amuse the local elite, he never managed to return his wife.
Another impudent one, also from Greek myths, – Sisyphus, condemned to climb a mountain with weights for eternity (hmm, something familiar, no?). Few people know that he received this punishment for trying to cheat death. When the god Thanatos came for his soul, he lured him with jewelry and locked him up. When the crime was discovered, Sisyphus did not stop, and convinced Hades to let the sufferer go back, since his “stupid” wife (on his own orders) buried him without honors. It was not possible to fool Hades for the third time.
In the folklore of Europe and many other countries, stories are also common about people who beat death at chess, cards or another game in order to extend their sentence. Another way to avoid oblivion was the help of a celestial being – some of them could willingly lift the person they liked to heaven. It seems that in this matter one cannot do without cronyism and cunning..
5. Guide of Souls
Guide of Souls (or psychopomp) is an extremely important character for many cultures. Most often, his duties include such routines as transporting souls to the underworld, preparing mummies, executing sentences, keeping secrets and rituals, etc. The role of guide is often played by animals and spirits, but we are interested in two of the most famous representatives.
Anubis – an ancient Egyptian god with the head of a dog, providing protection and support to those who came to the final judgment of Ka. Many sought to receive the favor of this god, because it depended on him whether the soul would reach the court of Osiris. For this, it was very important to observe funeral rituals.
The gloomy man dressed in rags had similar duties Charona – only on his boat could a soul safely cross the poisonous waters of the River Styx. Otherwise, the soul was forced to seek a transition on its own or perish. True, unlike Anubis, Charon did not agree to provide transfers for everyone – pay the fare or go free. This is why the Greeks placed a coin under the tongue of the dead.
Psychopomps are a very interesting archetype. They are intermediaries between two worlds, closely connected with people and their souls, but at the same time they zealously monitor compliance with the rules and do not allow exceptions for anyone, ever. Sometimes the functions of a psychopomp are taken over by other deities – Hermes, Thanatos, Hecate, etc.
Separately, it is worth noting that most soul guides have a complex character, which is not surprising – with such and such work.
6. Vengeful Ghost
Japanese mythology and beyond are replete with ghost stories. Deceived, betrayed, lost loved ones and restless, they wander around the world, terrifying and pursuing their offenders. Only after death can they turn from a victim into a hunter and tirelessly strive to take revenge on someone specific or everyone. In Japan, such ghosts are called Onryo. The spirit that feeds on its anger will rest only when justice is restored. Most often, women who are killed by their husbands or who have lost children become Onryo.
A similar plot is found in the legends of Mexico – La Llorna or "crying woman". A beautiful girl, Maria, marries an unworthy man and, seeing him with someone else, in a fit of jealousy, drowns her own children in the river. Realizing what she has done, she herself throws herself into the abyss and dies. Since then, her restless spirit has been wandering along the shore and crying: “Where are my children??!». It is believed that if La Llorna meets a lonely child, she will definitely take him with her.
In Japanese mythology, there is an image of the rain spirit called Ame-onna or "rain woman". Initially, this was the name of one of the ancient deities who patronized agriculture and was revered by farmers. However, over time, things changed, and Ame-Onna began to be portrayed as a sleazy, ugly woman who preyed on newborn babies. In modern Japan, "ame-onna" (or "ame-otoko" if it is a man) refers to an unlucky person who has probably been jinxed, because his presence is accompanied by unwanted precipitation and troubles. Ame-Onna is depicted as a woman standing in the rain and licking raindrops from her hands, with an umbrella or bag for the unfortunate victims.
8. God of death
We have already talked about soul guides, but they are not the ones who rule the roost. There are deities responsible for ensuring that the kingdom of the dead works properly for all eternity in almost every pantheon. Hades in Greece, Osiris in Egypt, Hel in German-Scandinavian mythology, Ereshkigal in Ancient Mesopotamia, Sedna among the Eskimos, Emma in Japan, Hine-nui-te-po among the Maoris and others. Obviously, ancient people had no illusions about human organization even in matters of death. Most often, the rulers of the underworld led a secluded life, tried not to get involved in any conflicts and fanatically protected the isolation of their possessions. They treated mortals with restraint, critically assessed the client’s merits during his life and pronounced their verdict. Some limited themselves to the local equivalent of hell, while others came up with original and cruel punishments for those who did not behave very well. For good girls, more pleasant conditions were created in the VIP area with singing angels and a free buffet.
The image of the god of death had to be as frightening and detached as possible in order to create even in the last villain an irrational fear that he would someday have to pay for his actions. And it’s inevitable.
The underworld is a mystical place with its own laws that apply even to the gods. Remember the story of Odin’s son, Baldr, who, even with his divine origin, was unable to escape from the domain of Hel. However, despite the costs of the profession, the gods of death are not always bloodthirsty and in many ancient cults they act as patrons of both death and life.
Thanks for reading! If you saw any other interesting references or looked at the game from a new angle, share it in the comments, I’ll be interested 😉