The downward spiral- sheep and babies and stuff, oh my!
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I didn't get to freaked out by the game after I started playing it years later again until the spiral staircase started becoming darker and darker. There are also those black boxes that fall through the metal shoots behind stuff,gotta love those.
[img]http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa187/animefairyofdarkness/o0p1cpjpgcopy.jpg[/img]
Most people say Henry's a pervert because of looking through the peephole to Eileen's room, but here's the thing: Your not required to do that, it's the players choice.
So whose the pervert now :P?
((Apparently you can OD on Green Tea...And it's painful.))
Most people say Henry's a pervert because of looking through the peephole to Eileen's room, but here's the thing: Your not required to do that, it's the players choice.
So whose the pervert now :P?
((Apparently you can OD on Green Tea...And it's painful.))
How 'bout Walter had a hard time sleeping and it represents his sheep-counting technique? 
Seriously, I noticed it right the way (paid much attention when I was playing it with my friend) along with the twitching baby and some others. This one stood out because it was the most calm and non-violent. First impression was simply religious.
The crucifix behind is sacrifice, same tool where Walter was hung. The sheep looks very calm as if it were a wax statue. That also said the sheep was not a live animal but a projection of an image - perhaps the pure image of young Walter himself.
Seriously, I noticed it right the way (paid much attention when I was playing it with my friend) along with the twitching baby and some others. This one stood out because it was the most calm and non-violent. First impression was simply religious.
The crucifix behind is sacrifice, same tool where Walter was hung. The sheep looks very calm as if it were a wax statue. That also said the sheep was not a live animal but a projection of an image - perhaps the pure image of young Walter himself.
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DamienPales
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A horse it was.
Now that you brought it up (good point), it was the serial killer's childhood projection, running up and down the stairwells of past memories when J-Lo's character chasing the kid. This is pretty unique to the SH4 concept.
Stairwells = spiral
Horse = sheep
? = crucifix
Coincidence? Some influence, I admit.
Now that you brought it up (good point), it was the serial killer's childhood projection, running up and down the stairwells of past memories when J-Lo's character chasing the kid. This is pretty unique to the SH4 concept.
Stairwells = spiral
Horse = sheep
? = crucifix
Coincidence? Some influence, I admit.
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Kaiza Killa
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I always thought the sheep represented the Order. The whole shepherd and his flock thing Christians have got going in the bible. Sacrifice would be a lot nicer explanation (with the holy assumption and all) if it was a lamb rather than a sheep.
We also see a toilet, which in Japan symbolizes an entrance to another world (which is why the hole appeared in Henry’s bathroom, next to the toilet-bowl in the first place).
Dancing baby reminds me of Alley McBeal, apart from that it could symbolize Walter’s excitement at the idea of being in his mother again.
The women with arrows in her bellies probably represents Walter’s birth mother. Or rather his subconscious resentment of her.
The trail of blood, quite literally represents the trail of blood Walter has left in his life, his serial killings.
I’m at a complete loss over the giant, caged, baby-mannequin heads at the bottom though…
We also see a toilet, which in Japan symbolizes an entrance to another world (which is why the hole appeared in Henry’s bathroom, next to the toilet-bowl in the first place).
Dancing baby reminds me of Alley McBeal, apart from that it could symbolize Walter’s excitement at the idea of being in his mother again.
The women with arrows in her bellies probably represents Walter’s birth mother. Or rather his subconscious resentment of her.
The trail of blood, quite literally represents the trail of blood Walter has left in his life, his serial killings.
I’m at a complete loss over the giant, caged, baby-mannequin heads at the bottom though…
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Green Lion
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The sheep also looks to the right, to the east, where sunrise, so it might mean the beginning of religion, or Order, or Holy mother's earthlife. The sheep stands on human body parts which might mean that sheep represents somebody who looks innocent, but is actualy dangerous.I always thought the sheep represented the Order. The whole shepherd and his flock thing Christians have got going in the bible. Sacrifice would be a lot nicer explanation (with the holy assumption and all) if it was a lamb rather than a sheep.
the same symbol, like that near the wall, was at the chapel in SH3
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These main rooms reminded me stainglass from the chapel. It's devided in 3 parts too, and characters are in their separate rooms, and they have halos on their heads, so 3 halos= 3 lights
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the room below subway world has no boarders between cages and central room. 2 worship some otherworld creature. The upper half of this creature looks like angel and lower part reminds of demon (wool and hoofs). And Creature has no arms, so maybe human worshipers suggest their hands.
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i think the female mannequin represents the woman who has been sacrificed and should've already been dead, but still can't die. And her stomach is peirced, might mean that she is cursed (curse to live undead) or that she is pregnant with something evil.
The room below building world. The door in the back wall appeared, behind the toilet.
other stuff
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flying mannequins below subway world
some Alessa's symbols:
Butterfly wings attached to the hole below subway world
below prison
and room from SH1
some Alessa's symbols:
Butterfly wings attached to the hole below subway world
below prison
and room from SH1
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The Procrastinator
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Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Thank you Lion! There are so many detail here that I never even noticed before. Like body parts around the sheep*shiver*, and I never saw the god/angel either. This is really some good thought food!
So yeah, Thank you Green Lion! I really hope to see more posts from you in the future.
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Web_Zombie
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Thanks a lot Green Lion, I've never seen the rooms that detailed before.
I was especially surprised to see the angel/demon type creature, never seen that one before. It made me think that perhaps that could be how Walter views himself, he's doing what he thinks is just, as was taught in the 21 Sacrements to acheive his goal of being reunited with his mother. The kneeling man and woman could represent his parents.
Or perhaps that is the cult's version of a God, a demon under the pretence of an angel leading them on to false hope. Such as Lucifer, a fallen angel leading people to sin.
I was especially surprised to see the angel/demon type creature, never seen that one before. It made me think that perhaps that could be how Walter views himself, he's doing what he thinks is just, as was taught in the 21 Sacrements to acheive his goal of being reunited with his mother. The kneeling man and woman could represent his parents.
Or perhaps that is the cult's version of a God, a demon under the pretence of an angel leading them on to false hope. Such as Lucifer, a fallen angel leading people to sin.
I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly...
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yourhappydeath
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This is my first time taking a stab at Silent Hill symbolism, be gentle please 
In the era of Constantine the Great, the use of a sheep in religious art depicted Christ as the Holy Victim. Sheep were often depicted with crosses behind their heads or on their backs. The lamb was also used to reference Susanna standing between two wolves, in which she symbolized a faithful layperson who was entirely innocent.
If we take this sheep to mean Christ, we might think to attach it to Walter first since he became immortal like Christ did after he was crucified. It could be a fairly straight forward meaning as simple as Walter views himself as the Holy Victim who has suffered and wants to be reunited with his parent, like Christ returning to God again. Although of course Walter did it out of purely selfish reasons, whereas Christ did it to save people. This reference seems like the most acceptable one, since there are actual artworks depicting the same image as the game and they probably inspired it.
But we can also consider Susanna's story, and the artist's choice to use a lamb to depict her. To sum it up; she was a beautiful and God fearing married woman. She lived on her husband's large estate, which happened to be frequented by two Jewish elders who were judges. They saw Susanna and lusted after her. One day they followed her to an orchard where she was bathing. They waited her for maids to leave and approached her and basically demanded her to sleep with them or they would testify that she had been with another man and that they were the sole witnesses. In the end, she is taken to court and found innocent because God sends her help in the form of Daniel, and the two elders are put to death for doing the exact opposite that a judge is expected to do (and it was the punishment that would have befell Susanna.)
We could possibly interpret this as pertaining to Cynthia. Walter watched her from afar a long time like the elders did with Susanna because he found her to be beautiful. He was helpless to do anything as long as Cynthia had her friends around, she would never take him seriously, just like Susanna with her protective maids. Cynthia dies when Henry can't get to her in time, the same way that Susanna would have been guilty if not for Daniel saving her. The only difference would be that Cynthia is not a God fearing person, but since Walter is a misogynist and doesn't think any women are innocent besides his mother, it wouldn't necessarily matter or be apparent to him.
In the era of Constantine the Great, the use of a sheep in religious art depicted Christ as the Holy Victim. Sheep were often depicted with crosses behind their heads or on their backs. The lamb was also used to reference Susanna standing between two wolves, in which she symbolized a faithful layperson who was entirely innocent.
If we take this sheep to mean Christ, we might think to attach it to Walter first since he became immortal like Christ did after he was crucified. It could be a fairly straight forward meaning as simple as Walter views himself as the Holy Victim who has suffered and wants to be reunited with his parent, like Christ returning to God again. Although of course Walter did it out of purely selfish reasons, whereas Christ did it to save people. This reference seems like the most acceptable one, since there are actual artworks depicting the same image as the game and they probably inspired it.
But we can also consider Susanna's story, and the artist's choice to use a lamb to depict her. To sum it up; she was a beautiful and God fearing married woman. She lived on her husband's large estate, which happened to be frequented by two Jewish elders who were judges. They saw Susanna and lusted after her. One day they followed her to an orchard where she was bathing. They waited her for maids to leave and approached her and basically demanded her to sleep with them or they would testify that she had been with another man and that they were the sole witnesses. In the end, she is taken to court and found innocent because God sends her help in the form of Daniel, and the two elders are put to death for doing the exact opposite that a judge is expected to do (and it was the punishment that would have befell Susanna.)
We could possibly interpret this as pertaining to Cynthia. Walter watched her from afar a long time like the elders did with Susanna because he found her to be beautiful. He was helpless to do anything as long as Cynthia had her friends around, she would never take him seriously, just like Susanna with her protective maids. Cynthia dies when Henry can't get to her in time, the same way that Susanna would have been guilty if not for Daniel saving her. The only difference would be that Cynthia is not a God fearing person, but since Walter is a misogynist and doesn't think any women are innocent besides his mother, it wouldn't necessarily matter or be apparent to him.
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yourhappydeath
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AuraTwilight
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