Category: looky

something cool I found on the internets

The Gospel of Zelda

looky

Recently I’ve been analyzing narratives similar to the Gospel- one of the things I find interesting about the Gospel, is its Rashomon-like quality of being told several times by different authors, and after that, its repeated treatments in thousands of different artworks over thousands of years.

In the New Testament, the life and death of Christ are described as chronicled by different people- each of the apostles. In religious art throughout the world, key episodes out of these accounts are portrayed by thousands, perhaps even millions of different artists… but the interesting part is, since no one knows what any given scene actually looked like, they represent it how they visualize it, with only a few consistent elements.

Example: “Christ is born” needs a baby in a manger (Christ), a woman (Mary), a man (Joseph), three other men (the wise men), possibly some animals (it’s in a barn), and possibly some shepherds. But what animals? What is everyone wearing? Is Mary black or white? and so on. In thousands of versions of this scene, the details change, but the subjects stay the same in a general sense.

So… Just for fun, I did a short analysis of the symbolism and visual language of the Legend of Zelda. The game is a full-on franchise now, with many different episodes, each slightly different from the others. As in the Gospel, the details and emphasis change, but the general story framework stays the same.

The Zelda setting (“Hyrule”) has a Creation story, and an epic, in which Link triumphs over Ganon with the help of Zelda. Rather than be aligned along Good/Evil, this epic has a three-valued moral system, using Power, Wisdom, and Courage.

Symbols in Zelda

  • The Triforce is the symbol of everything in Zelda. The three pieces of the Triforce – correspond to the three goddesses that created the world:
    • Din, goddess of Power
    • Nayru, goddess of Wisdom
    • Farore, goddess of Courage
  • Ganon, the Avatar of Power, always tries to take over the world. He leads a society of outcasts, and starts from the dregs of society to become a warlord.
    • dark skin, red hair. Very large. Generally “adult,” possibly balding, but not old.
    • his symbol is the pig (he sometimes takes the form of a demon pig)
    • black, ornate armor
    • ability to use “magic,” usually involving teleportation, flying, turning invisible, or throwing fire
    • Ganon always remembers his identity
  • Zelda, the Avatar of Wisdom, is born to priviledge, and always leads others, but is passive. She is always captured by Ganon, but is instrumental in his destruction.
    • pale skin, light colored hair. Short and slight.
    • pink or white floor-length dress, circlet crown/tiara
    • Zelda will generally have some crystal imagery associated with her. See “sages” below.
    • Zelda knows the roles of the three Avatars through priviledge
  • Link, Avatar of Courage, is born a commoner, but at some point gains his birthright and is linked with a Hero legend.
    • light skin, sometimes tanned. short, very young.
    • green tunic, green shoes, cap
    • carries a sword and shield with the Triforce on it.
    • Link learns of his role as the Hero during his adventure
    • Link’s various weapons have their own symbolism (as in Hindu art):
      • the sword – the sword is earned by Link on his trip, like his other weapons. However trial of the sword in particular has a greater emphasis and difficulty associated with it. This sword is usually unique and is imbued in some way to fight Ganon.
      • the shield – always has belonged to a great warrior. Along with the sword it represents honor, and a past glory.
      • the boomerang- a weak weapon, but acts as a remote hand
      • the bomb – always given to Link by strangers
      • the mallet – used for hitting the ground
      • the silver arrow – always needed to defeat Ganon- Ganon’s only weakness
      • flute, ocarina, or other magical instrument – used by Link to “get places”- either by actually physically moving him there, or clearing the barrier in between him and the place. These instruments are ancient tools imbued by magic, left by ancestors or prophets.
  • Sages – there are Saint-equivalents called Sages.
    • They may be associated with the various elements.
    • In some versions they are trapped in crystals by Ganon or other evil forces.
    • There are generally seven of them
    • Each of them may be commoners who are “recognized” (in the Tibetan sense) as being incarnations of whatever sage.
  • The elements:
    • Light
    • Dark / Shadow
    • Forest
    • Fire
    • Water (occaisionally replaced by Air)
    • Spirit
    • Time
  • Episodes: The order of these episodes may change in different versions of the gospel of Zelda
    • Zelda calls for help to Link
    • Zelda kidnapped by Ganon. Link watches.
    • Ganon and Link meet for the first time
    • Link gains the Sword
    • Ganon and Link fight- Zelda aids in some magical way
    • backstory: world created
    • backstory: Ganon rises to power

Example links:

Nina Paley

looky

Nina Paley rules so much – I just watched her “sitayana” which is just the Sita parts of the Ramayana, animated and set to music. Extremely cool. Also it’s good because it’s a good little bit of exposure for a famous legend/story that most “westerners” aren’t even aware of.
Web link of note: Nina Paley
(At http://www.ninapaley.com/)

Rick Geary

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Rick Geary is another artist I saw at APE- he did some small comic books on the Lizzie Borden and Jack the Ripper murders, as well as the assassination of President Garfield. Obscure but cool.
Web link of note: Rick Geary
(At http://www.rickgeary.com/)

Mamey Sapote

looky

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been following a certain exotic fruit tree nursery for a while, and made a list of fruits from there I had never previously heard of. The fruits were listed in an issue of “Spirit of Aloha,” which I read exactly one year ago, on our honeymoon. (Yay, we made it to one year…)

One of the fruits is the “mamey sapote.”

Yesterday we were at Berkeley Bowl, grabbing some supplies, and I ran into a friend with his baby in tow… after we spoke I was sort of meandering around, in that post-conversation state where I think about what was just said, and ended up in the little exotic fruits nook they keep there.

A man was there, looking at the fruits, and we had a brief conversation- he remarked how there was some pretty random stuff there, and wondered aloud what these brown football things were. I said, I know, wow, I have no idea- oh wait!!! This is a mamey sapote!!!

This poor guy must have thought he was on Candid Camera… I excitedly explained how I had been looking for one of these for years, and I had expected I would have to buy an entire tree just to taste it… he was appropriately afraid.

So, we ate part of it this morning. It wasn’t cheap: over $3 a pound. We bought a 3 pound one… the flesh is indeed pumpkinlike. I’m not sure I’d call it chocolatey though. It has the mild flavor of a pumpkin, with a cool firmness that is softer than an uncooked pumpkin. The flesh is fairly dry, so we found it was best with a little coconut milk. Its flavor would probably be overpowered by lime juice.

Later today we will attempt to make a custard or even a tart out of the rest.
The big list, summarized from the Spirit of Aloha article by Ray:

  • mabolo, or velvet persimmon
  • durian (an aphrodisiac fruit that smells like a toilet)
  • mangosteen
  • Baccaurea sapida, Burmese grape, mafai wan in Thai, or yaow in Vietnamese
  • Keppel fruit
  • Sapadilla, salak, or Indonesian “snake fruit” (“tart and astringent” flesh? yum?)
  • dark-purple mango, found only near Banjarmaisin, Borneo
  • Abiu (Amazon, melon and caramel taste, persimmon texture)
  • young leaves and shoots of pak wan, or tropical asparagus
  • Peanut butter fruit (texture is like Skippy’s)
  • Marang (a breadfruit, Phillipines, vanilla ice cream)
  • Mamey sapote (tastes of chocolate, pumpkin and almond)
  • Sawo (tastes like a honey-flavored peach or pear)

What is kind of weird is Berkeley Bowl also had a “sapote” a few months ago- it was a small green thing, an tasted a bit like a pear.