Avatar and the Tarot
This probably got noticed already but I was just struck by an observation. The TV show "Avatar The Last Airbender" is a lot cleverer than I thought.
The first thing you realize if you're somewhat knowledgeable about the way mythology works is that the ATLA series adopts the four element system of air/water/fire/earth usually associated with western mythology and not the five element wind/wood/metal/water/fire model mostly associated with eastern mythology. (This argument BTW was used with a lot of pomp and fail by people trying to tell those protesting the movie casting that "see? this is western therefore they're not Asian so you're WRONG")
Because I'm working on CQ which also has the four element system attached to it, I've been instilling some tarot mythology into it (because one of the themes is how universal these themes are, and how even when a world is built from scratch, the worldbuilders' mythology influences what arises... but I digress) I have been associating certain items with certain characters very purposely, and all of a sudden I realized.
In ATLA, Aang's weapon is the staff, which is the symbol for air in the tarot suits. (aka Clubs in the modern card deck, symbolized by the three balls which is echoed in the ATLA crest for air, the three swirly circles)
Katara's weapon is her waterbending, which she draws from her hip flask. The symbol for water in Tarot is the cup, which is also another interpretation of the moon and water symbol of the Water tribe. The modern card deck calls this "hearts" and of course Katara is the "heart" of the team.
Zuko's element is fire and that's also his primary weapon, but he is also a swordsman, a skill used to great effect in his Blue Spirit mode. The symbol for fire is the sword in the Tarot (duh) which in the modern deck is the spade, and if you fill in the empty space of the Fire nation symbol, guess what. Spade city.
Toph's is the best, because she does not use a weapon at all other than her earthbending. However, she's also from a rich family and she has used that on occasion to aid the team. The Earth Kingdom symbol is very obviously a Chinese coin with the square hole in the center, and earth in the Tarot is a Pentacle or Coin (depending) and represented in the current deck as the diamond.
Mike and Bryan, I am finding more and more reasons to appreciate what you put into the series. It's the little things that make you go "oh shit that's right, wow!"
The first thing you realize if you're somewhat knowledgeable about the way mythology works is that the ATLA series adopts the four element system of air/water/fire/earth usually associated with western mythology and not the five element wind/wood/metal/water/fire model mostly associated with eastern mythology. (This argument BTW was used with a lot of pomp and fail by people trying to tell those protesting the movie casting that "see? this is western therefore they're not Asian so you're WRONG")
Because I'm working on CQ which also has the four element system attached to it, I've been instilling some tarot mythology into it (because one of the themes is how universal these themes are, and how even when a world is built from scratch, the worldbuilders' mythology influences what arises... but I digress) I have been associating certain items with certain characters very purposely, and all of a sudden I realized.
In ATLA, Aang's weapon is the staff, which is the symbol for air in the tarot suits. (aka Clubs in the modern card deck, symbolized by the three balls which is echoed in the ATLA crest for air, the three swirly circles)
Katara's weapon is her waterbending, which she draws from her hip flask. The symbol for water in Tarot is the cup, which is also another interpretation of the moon and water symbol of the Water tribe. The modern card deck calls this "hearts" and of course Katara is the "heart" of the team.
Zuko's element is fire and that's also his primary weapon, but he is also a swordsman, a skill used to great effect in his Blue Spirit mode. The symbol for fire is the sword in the Tarot (duh) which in the modern deck is the spade, and if you fill in the empty space of the Fire nation symbol, guess what. Spade city.
Toph's is the best, because she does not use a weapon at all other than her earthbending. However, she's also from a rich family and she has used that on occasion to aid the team. The Earth Kingdom symbol is very obviously a Chinese coin with the square hole in the center, and earth in the Tarot is a Pentacle or Coin (depending) and represented in the current deck as the diamond.
Mike and Bryan, I am finding more and more reasons to appreciate what you put into the series. It's the little things that make you go "oh shit that's right, wow!"