/jp/ - Otaku Culture

Happy Halloween you all! Since we already seem to be in a festive mood, I thought it might be entertaining, and better yet, intellectually stimulating, to write about the greater overarching and age-old European religious influence to Umineko thematically and aesthetically. Now, of course, I know that some may be hesitant to chime in or follow along because the act of delving into such a topic is increasingly associated with things deemed New Age and even Wicca. Rest assured that there is a reason we've always unquestioningly celebrated it in this thread as a lax event, and why Umineko hones on it the way it does. Just as Maria notes in the Turn of the Golden Witch, these Pagan traditions are ancient, full stop. So, instead of transforming them into something new, we should diligently inspect the past, even if it may stand as a taller order to find worthy Gaelic literature compared to casually picking up the Good Book.

Anywho, starting off orderly and chronologically, Door of Summer is the second music piece used after Thunderberg Lily. It's played when the family is reunited and heads off to Rokkenjima after Kinzo's opening scene. The title should strike one as a portal of seasonal immersion, like May Day, but not to describe the date itself as an entrance, rather the mood of the day in this case. (Remember this is kindred to Halloween because it is likewise an astrological event and seasonal turning point. And as a matter of fact there are quite a few variations to each of these key times on the wheel of the year—many of which were historically utilized by euro civilizations; for example take any of the Greco-Roman counterparts.) The jubilant gathering of a large family on a bright day before journeying atop the ocean waves! It's easy to take such warm preliminary moments for granted, but considering everything that happens after, it’s a very heartfelt moment. Everything goes downhill from there, right? That bright and sunny day will eventually become shrouded by turbulent weather and darkness. Fittingly enough, etymological break down of Samhain—from P.I.E. up to modern Irish—has led to one of the plausible definition's meaning, "summer's end."
the ritualistic killings outlined by the epitaph—individually referred to as Twilights—at 24:00, or 0:00. The days here are a smaller scale version of the greater year and seasons contained therein. Continuing onward, in her Turn, she proclaims the start of the banquet celebrating her revival at the melding of the hours, once again revering nature. Just as Golden Warlock Battler in Episode 6 titles his game: Dawn of the Golden Witch, in honor of his beloved. While it is mutually symbolic of his revelation, it also unintentionally accounts for her rebirth. Episode 8 afterward is aptly called her Twilight, too. A fitting end for a time. Although, it probably wouldn't be fair to merely hone in on this natural presence in European customs, when it's clearly a universal reverence, permeating many peoples' religions and cultures worldwide: From Shinto cosmology (that is also present in the story mind you), to ancient Egypt (refer to the Divine Hierarchy), to Aztec polytheism which trickled down into more modern Mesoamerican forms. It just happens to be that she is a caucasian Italian herself—a western magic practitioner who expressly focuses on her ancestry. . . .

Maybe if I do another post for you all, I'll talk more about Halloween itself by examining Maria's place in Mariage Sorciere, and subsequent participation in Witchcraft; Virgilia, and her North Wind and Sun strategy; and last but not least, Ange's party. And/or just flat out discuss some of the scholarly implications and grey area if anyone actually finds it worthwhile. . . . My friend told me this sort of thing is becoming more popular on 4channel, but maybe sometimes for the wrong reasons, cause obviously it can veer off into some pretty off-topic /pol/ territory. The same thing happened with Catholicism and Judeo-Christianity, if anyone remembers when the entirety of 4chan was invaded by crusaders (lol) and proselytizers. It's eerie to witness the pendulum swing between orthodox religion and Neo-Paganism yet again, as it has for so long in the greater scope of the world, too. Admittedly I also recognize this may be a bit of a bore compared to higher quality inspiration such as the Divine Comedy or mystifying Hebrew esoterics which the lambda anon used to cover. Hopefully this will feel a bit more personal or engaging for all of us, maybe. Well, whatever, a simple jack-o'-lantern treat with a happy Halloween cheer may do just as good!!