XVII : The Star
Motif
Motifs in the solutions to
riddles chosen to include meaning and purpose in the works of the series
The Silent Hill series has come to reference many literary works in
the form of motifs in the solutions to riddles. However, these
references are not limited to mere citations. The subjects and world
views of the original works have important meanings and suggestions
in the games. Looking back at these many motifs, let's reaffirm the
significance included therein.
|
Motifs that have to do with
juvenile literature appear in great numbers throughout the
series.
|
Even in the name of a key, an
important meaning that is closely connected to the basis of the
work is included.
|
Juvenile
The ones that are used most often as motifs that appear in the
series are juvenile literary works that began as fairy tales.
Making use of these many different works relates the otherworld
itself to the depths of the consciousness of the young girl
called Alessa. The fact that the works that she loved appear in
the otherworld clearly indicates that the otherworld is a
manifestation of Alessa's mind.
In the young girl's room that appears in the final stages of Silent
Hill 3, original texts with motifs that have come to appear in
the games such as Oz and Alice as well as Mother Goose and
Cinderella can be found on the bookshelf.
|
Alice in Wonderland and The
Wizard of Oz are important reference books.
|
The Wizard of Oz
In the early stages of Silent Hill, three keys called Scarecrow,
Woodman, and Lion are necessary to open the path to the elementary
school. The names originate from the three traveling companions of
the young girl who is the protagonist in The Wizard of Oz.
|
Alice in Wonderland
In the first game, plates of Turtle, Hatter, Cat, and Queen appear
as items that open a door in the hospital. These names all originate
from characters that appear in Alice in Wonderland.
|
Grimm's Fairy Tales
In Silent Hill 3, Cinderella and Snow White appear in the solution
to a puzzle in the Marchen Travel at the amusement park. The stories
of these two young ladies also appear in the solution to the music
box puzzle in the hotel from Silent Hill 2.
|
The
monster and the priestess
This fairy tale which appears in the office building in Silent Hill
3 is the only one that is completely original. Of course, it goes
without saying that the priestess in the fairy tale who once died
and returned to life most likely signifies Heather (Alessa).
|
Poem
A poem is employed in the solution to the riddle in
the crematorium under the hospital. When the riddle level is set
on "hard," a long and complex poem appears. This poem is based
on a piece of poetry from Mother Goose called "Who killed Cock
Robin?" In Europe and America, everyone is familiar with poetry
from Mother Goose. What significance could its appearance in
Silent Hill 3 hold?
|
This esoteric poem was created with a motif of the original
work.
|
|
Occult
Names of doors that are unfamiliar appear in
"nowhere" of the first game.
The truth is that they originate from the names of angels that
appear in a
medieval book of black magic called the Grimoire. Each angel is
a being
that governs a planet: Ophiel rules over Mercury, Hagith rules
over Venus,
Phaleg rules over Mars, Bethor rules over Jupiter, and Aratron
rules over
Saturn. Why were these doors given the names of angels?
|
The unfamiliar names of angels originate from a book of black
magic.
|
|
Literature
In Silent Hill 3, five books including
Shakespeare's four great tragedies of Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth,
and King Lear as well as Romeo and Juliet are used in the
solution to the riddle in the bookstore. Shakespeare's works
have been adapted all over the world and have become motifs in
many works, and the sorrow that these tragic works hold has a
strong relevance even to the subject of the game.
|
Macbeth's lines overlap with the grief of the characters.
|
|
A summary of the
works that have become motifs
| The Wizard of Oz |
Dorothy, who is
blown by a tornado into the Land of Oz, heads for the capital
city with three comrades in order to return to the world she
came from. |
| Alice in Wonderland |
While chasing after
a white rabbit, Alice falls down a deep hole and loses her way
in a wonderland inhabited by strange animals. |
| Macbeth |
Trusting in the
witches' prophecy, the fearless general Macbeth murders his own
friends and acquaintances one by one and is drawn into a world
of nightmares. |
| Hamlet |
From the words of
his father's ghost, Hamlet knows how his father, the king, met
his end. He feigns madness in order to take revenge on the new
king. |
| Romeo and Juliet |
Despite being from
opposing families, Romeo and Juliet fall completely in love. The
two of them become victims of the quarrel between the two
families. |
| Othello |
Othello, who is
black, loses faith in his wife Desdemona (who is white), and
comes to make the worst possible decision. |
| King Lear |
An historical drama
with an ancient England motif. Betrayed by his daughters, old
King Lear becomes deeply upset and loses his sanity. Cursing the
world, he wanders about the wilderness. |
| Snow White |
The original work is
one of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Snow White, who loses her life because of a poisoned apple, is revived by the prince's love. |
| The Little Mermaid |
Andersen's fairy
tale. In the end, the mermaid, who is in love with a human,
sacrifices her body for love. |
| Cinderella |
The prototype is
Charles Perrault's fairy tale, which was later compiled as one
of Grimm's Fairy Tales. It is the story of a girl who marries a
prince with the impetus of a glass slipper. |
| Mother Goose |
Nursery rhymes that
have been handed down since long ago in the English-speaking
world. Several hundred compilations of these nursery rhymes have
been made, and they have been referenced in every direction
including movies and literature. |
| Grimoire |
A medieval book of
black magic. The angels that appear are rooted in the Olympic
Spirits of ancient Greece. |
| Tu
Fui Ego Eris |
In Latin, it means
"I was you. You will become me." Originally these words are
engraved on tombstones. |
<<< 106-107 >>> |
Like Oz and Alice, the reason for using Mother Goose is that Alessa liked these stories when she was a child. It hints at the fact that as the setting of the game moves to Silent Hill, the otherworld also switches from being under Claudia's influence to being under Alessa's.
(Hiroyuki Owaku)