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The World of Aqua Chronicles of Aqua Kozue Amano Home |
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The World of Aqua : Earthly Origins Many of the things that Akari experiences in ARIA originate from real Earth customs, legends and places. As part of the natural evolution of human civilization, when cultures meet and mingle, they will start to take on aspects of each to form a collective myth. And there seems to be something about Aqua that makes myths come to life... Here, I'll try to provide the Earth origin and background of some of the things that Akari experiences. These are organized in order of appearance. Undine (Vol 1, Navigation 01: Neo-Venezia) In German folklore, an undine (pronounced uhn-deen) is a female water sprite who enjoys associating with humans. An undine is born without a soul, but if she marries a human and has a child, she gains one. The word was coined by the physician Paracelsus from unda, a Latin word meaning "wave." There is a 19th century novella Undine by Friedrich de La Motte Fouque, which has echoes of The Little Mermaid. You can read it at Project Gutenberg. Bridge of Sighs (Vol 1, Navigation 03: Bridge of Sighs) The Bridge of Sighs ('Ponte de Sospiri' in Italian) spans present-day Venice's Rio de Palazzo, connecting the Palace of the Doge, where prisoners were sentenced, to the prison on the other side. It was given its name by the British poet Lord Byron in the 19th century, though the bridge itself was built in the 16th century. Salamander (Vol 1, Navigation 03: Bridge of Sighs) The salamander is mentioned in the mythology of several cultures as a fabled animal that can makes its home in fire, and depending on the myth, can also put them out with the chill of its own body. That may be why the weather controllers on Aqua are called salamanders, as they control the temperatures of the planet's atmosphere. (Although it's true that real salamanders can withstand great heat, they can't do so indefinitely.) Inari Shrine (Vol 1, Navigation 05: Sun Shower) In the Shinto religion, everything (rivers, trees, certain rocks, etc.) has a spirit - not quite a god, more like an essence - known as kami. Inari shrines are dedicated to Inari, the kami of rice. Inari shrines are unique from other Shinto shrines because they have two stone foxes standing guard at the entrance. (Other shrines have two dogs or two lion statues, known as komainu.) According to legend, a fox couple sought shelter in a shrine to Inari. In exchange for this, they swore oaths of lifelong servitude to him. Since then, the descendants of these foxes have been sacred to Inari, who is portrayed as a bearded man (or a long-haired woman - kami traditionally have no specific gender) riding on the back of a myobu. Occasionally Inari is portrayed as a fox, as the legends have fused over time. The most famous of the Inari shrines in Japan is Fushimi Inari Shrine in southern Kyoto, upon which Amano-sensei based Aqua's Inari shrine. One of its attractions is the collection of over 10,000 red torii gates that line forest paths all over the shrine complex. For more information, see the Japan Guide. Inarizushi (Vol 1, Navigation 05: Sun Shower) This is a type of sushi. It's made of vinegared rice stuffed into a deep-fried tofu pouch (abura-age, a favorite food of foxes) which has been stewed in sweetened soy sauce. Recipe Fox's Wedding (Vol 1, Navigation 05: Sun Shower) "Kitsune no Yomeiri" in Japanese. So called because it's said that if you look carefully through the raindrops of a sun shower, you can see the fox bride's wedding procession in the distance. It is forbidden for humans to look upon a fox's wedding procession. A human who breaks this taboo may never return to his home, as the angry foxes will seek retribution. (In Akira Kurosawa's "Dreams", this fate befalls a boy who spies on a fox's wedding procession in the forest. The masks worn by the foxes in the film are very similar to the ones worn by the fox's wedding procession in ARIA.) Foxes (Vol 1, Navigation 05: Sun Shower) As in many other cultures, the fox, or kitsune, is usually a trickster in Japanese legend. They are especially well known for taking on human forms, usually of beautiful women, to trick humans. (e.g. Shippou in InuYasha.) It's also said that foxes can possess the souls of humans. Certain foxes, known as myobu (celestial fox), are sacred to the rice kami Inari, and are considered helpful to humans. For more information about foxes in Japanese folklore, please see Foxtrot's Research on Kitsune Lore. Gnomes (Vol 2, Navigation 08: Voices of the Stars) Gnomes are fairy folk common to many European mythologies. Although different cultures have different types of gnomes, it's generally agreed that they are short, have great respect for nature and live close to it (normally in the woodlands, though many myths say gnomes live in the interior of the earth and are the guardians of its riches), love to invent and tinker, and wear pointy hats. All of which we see in Aqua's gnomes. Gnomes are also long-lived - most cultures agree that the average lifespan of a gnome is 400 years - which could explain why Akari and Aika mistake Al for a little boy when he's really 3 years older than they are. Throwing things on New Year's Eve (Vol 2, Navigation 09: Auguri Buon Anno) In Naples there is a tradition of throwing out old things at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve - to give people an excuse to buy new stuff.:) Beans at New Year's (Vol 2, Navigation 09: Auguri Buon Anno) In Sicily, lentils traditionally symbolize coins. Therefore people eat lentils at the New Year to attract prosperity. Cait Sith (Vol 2, Navigation 10: Carnival) Cait Sith, pronounced "cait-shee", means "fairy cat" (though many Highlanders thought they were transformed witches) and is said to haunt the Scottish Highlands. It is black with a white mark on its breast, but it's supposed to be the size of a large dog. Perhaps the legend grew after moving to Aqua. Carnival/Carnevale (Vol 2, Navigation 10: Carnival) The traditional 40-day pre-Lent celebration starts on January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas) and ends on the day before Ash Wednesday. Casanova (Vol 2, Navigation 10: Carnival) Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) was born in Venice, though he spent most of his life in various countries across the European continent. By his own account, he was a man of many talents. He led a colorful life as a writer, translator, poet, sometime spy, prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition (briefly - he escaped), and of course, legendary lover. At the time of his death, he was living in exile as a librarian in Bohemia. |
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