Anakin's "death" and gnostic symbolism in star wars
alright, I know this is all crammed into one big thread but, i felt like discussing the symbolism in star wars' storyline and anakin's transformation in general.
First of all, Anakin is dead. As he's lying charred and burned on the black sand, the shadow of Palpatine's shuttle looks like a vulture. Later, Palptaine looks like the reaper as he puts his hand on anakin's forehead, symbolically taking his soul. Funeral music is played as anakin is assembled and stops abruptly when the Vader mask-A death mask to his body, now entombed in a black sarcophagus, is lowered onto his scarred and blankly staring face. So from a certain point of view, obi-wan was right in ANH.
now for the gnostic stuff. for those unfamiliar with the faith, gnostic were a sect of jews, and later christians that were considered heretical because they didn't conform to the standards of christianity held by the nicene creed. their texts included many of the gospels and books that had been censored from both the jewish and christian bible, many of which dealt with Christ's troubled upbringing and the idea that eventually EVERYONE who has ever existed will be pardoned and live in paradise. They believe that the world was created by an evil god, the god of the old testament, and therefore everything physical is inherently evil. the god of the new testament created christ as his son and all the spiritual deities that will eventually bring the world to paradise at the end of days. For these beliefs, the gnostics were all but wiped out.
Now, for my analysis
The Dark side is the evil god personified through Darth Sidious. he has no redeemable qualities and gains his power from material treachery, dark arts (sorcery is forbidden in gnosticism), and the corruption of others. he is eventually destroyed by the noble god's actions.
The Force is the noble god, who's intentions are divine and the Jedi are it's angels.
Anakin is Lucifer, God's most perfect and beautiful creation. He is decieved, partially through his own arrogance into believing that the Jedi are evil and that he should have more power. For this, he is cast down into flames and transformed into the hidious Darth Vader (Satan/Dis) who is in eternal pain. At the end of days, he is forgiven and allowed to join the light once more.
Luke and Leia are christ, with leia being the teacher of man, and luke being the performer of miracles, the savior, the warrior, and the redeemer. Luke also had a troubled childhood, akin to Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas.
Padme is the Virgin, who gives birth without sin
Han is Mary magdoline who is converted from a life of sin to christ's companion, and probable lover.
sorry if that's a lot to swallow.
__________________ Land of the free, home of the brave...
Do you think we will ever be saved?
In this land of dreams find myself sober...
Wonder when will it'll all be over...
Living in a void when the void grows colder...
Wonder when it'll all be over?
Will you be laughing when it's over?
Registered: Apr 2005
Location: Massachusettes, United States
Re: Anakin's "death" and gnostic symbolism in star wars
That doesn't sound like Christian gnosticism to me, but I could be wrong. Christian gnosticism deals with the fall of god from a perfect state and the believers' endeavor to help him return to his state of perfection.
In any case, what I am sure about is that Lucifer is not Satan, you must refer to him as Satan or the devil or something. Lucifer is the Latin word for Venus, the morning star. It was used iin translating the Latin Vulgate in Isaiah 14:12 as the word for what would be in english "morning star." When the Authorized Version (King James Version) was translated in 1611, the Vulgate was used, and since there was no translation for the proper noun Lucifer, it was kept as is, leaving people to make the mistake of calling Satan Lucifer.
Other than that I would agree with the symbolism, though I don't know if it's intentional....
yeah, well, i was just using popular terminolgy. Satan is improper too since in Job, Hasatan (the adversary) is a servant of god.
__________________ Land of the free, home of the brave...
Do you think we will ever be saved?
In this land of dreams find myself sober...
Wonder when will it'll all be over...
Living in a void when the void grows colder...
Wonder when it'll all be over?
Will you be laughing when it's over?
Just to make things clear, I'm the most secular Jew ever. I just like mythology
__________________ Land of the free, home of the brave...
Do you think we will ever be saved?
In this land of dreams find myself sober...
Wonder when will it'll all be over...
Living in a void when the void grows colder...
Wonder when it'll all be over?
Will you be laughing when it's over?
Registered: May 2005
Location: Drinking rootbear for GSG and DSA.
Darth Jello you got i wrong Anikan is just the bad side we all have in us Luke is the goodside in us Sidious is like he is the deciever and uses pain to luer people to be bad and evil.
I think GL knows some jewish Yoda means wise in jewish my friend who has studied the language for years.
Have any question on what i wrote send me a messege
Hear this from a Christian in the old testament God was angry people were killing people and doing evil so he had one man named Noah save his family and his friends noah told them they there would be a flood but they didn't listen their loss and Noah lived along life and he took 2 of every animal male and female.
But in testament proffices were talking of man who isn't born yet and than he comes he told them who he was.
But people didn't belive him and tried killing him crusfie him for no reason he had done no crime in his life. And the Devil thought he won.
Watch passion of christ that will shed light on that.
But Jesus came back for a while than left.
And he will come back to judge our action and every good and bad thing in our lives if we were evil you go down good go up O.k Siths are like Demons Jedi are im not sure but they fight for lightside.
And this is no theory it's the truth check the good book and the orginal christian one. And if you don't belive me than don't.
Registered: May 2005
Location: Drinking rootbear for GSG and DSA.
Actually i just notice Anikan is like people we stray from the goodside but Luke like J will be there to bring us back Sidious is like pain is what he uses to make us turn on the lightside and then when we die he gets to do what he wants to us as for goodside you live in paradise but you gotta belive in em to get that ticket to paradise.
And the Jedi that are killed are like what happening in world Christians get killed in other countries cuz we belive it's nuts people are going bad and tec will kill us next Sith or like Sadam will have all the super tec to kill us.
Last edited by green dude on Jun 5th, 2005 at 03:37 PM
Hey Jello.. nice post, but unfortunately your view on Gnosticism isn't correct entirely. No offense..
A while ago, I used to conform to Gnostic philosophy (I guess one could've called me a Gnostic). I've studied it intensively in several learners courses. Anyways, Gnosticism teaches that there is a non physical realm where a nameless and impersonal god dwells. Several lesser gods existed in this realm. To copy the highest god, one of the lesser god's, "Sophia" tried to create, just as her creator. She did in fact create, but because she wasn't perfect, she created a deformed god, the god who would become the god of the old testament.
This deformed god was called "Yaldabaoth". He was outcasted from the realm of the higher gods before he had consciousness and so therefore considered himself to be the only god. So he decided to create a physical realm, our universe. He created archons (angels) to assist him in his quest. Anyways, he created man and man was his puppet.. completely lifeless. But all of this wasn't going on without any recognition from the Higher realm of gods. And so Jesus came as a snake, a wise snake. This snake was "Lucifer" which means "Light Bringer". Lucifer gave knowledge and self awareness to man and broke him free from being a mindless machine to the evil god. Lucifer had man and woman eat of the Tree of Knowledge (Knowledge means "Gnosis", hence the name of this philosophy).
This is just very brief, however as it relates to Star Wars, I can't see any realtions. However, there are some similarities between Orthodox Christianity and SW.. For instance, Jesus could be Anakin, being born of a virgin (Shmi). Jesus was pure but then had to descend into humanity (Which was evil).. just like Anakin descending into the Dark Side. BUT.. Jesus, through becoming fleshly (and therefore in the realm of evil), vanquished evil from within... the same as Anakin vanquishing evil from within.
I am not a Christian in any way, but I have studied the religions of the world.
__________________ "If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed!"
Palpy, just out of curiosity (and for understandable reasons you don't have to answer), are you a freemason? if so, how can I join?
__________________ Land of the free, home of the brave...
Do you think we will ever be saved?
In this land of dreams find myself sober...
Wonder when will it'll all be over...
Living in a void when the void grows colder...
Wonder when it'll all be over?
Will you be laughing when it's over?
if you notice in many films like starwars loftr they just battles which took place in history, they used different religions, a mixutre of languages to create news ones.
i just metioned it because i know that some masonic traditions are based on gnosticism
__________________ Land of the free, home of the brave...
Do you think we will ever be saved?
In this land of dreams find myself sober...
Wonder when will it'll all be over...
Living in a void when the void grows colder...
Wonder when it'll all be over?
Will you be laughing when it's over?
Jello, I'm not a freemason... I lean towards, let's just say real life philosophies (which will go unnamed) that resemble the teachings of the Sith in SW.
__________________ "If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed!"
Jun 5th, 2005 07:28 AM
John 3:16 ^Thanks Ast Rofan^
he is the deciever and uses pain to luer people to be bad and evil.
