Post by ladyjanegrey on Apr 4, 2009 18:54:09 GMT -5
I have returned. Been busy, busy. Also not feeling so good. Ugh. My brain just does not want to get into gear!
Milareppa: I totally agree with you. Sesshoumaru has now become a taiyoukai. He may not be up there with his father yet, but give him a few hundred years, and he'll make it! ;D
To the Realm of the Dead
This is about Tatari Mokke, the Soul Piper, and how it's presence in the story may be more than just filler.
Myouga calls the Soul Piper a youkai. To some extent, youkai are part of the real world, spirit (not spiritual) essences of all things that exist in the physical world. And death is part of the Real World. Myouga says that it is produced by the souls of the dead children. The Soul Piper acts as a psychopomp, a spiritual, sometimes divine, guide, who eventually leads the soul of the dead to the otherworld (think Hermes, Messenger of the Greek Gods).
The Soul Piper, seeks out the souls of children who have died but refused to move on to the afterlife. It comforts them, and amuses them by playing it's pipe. In time they accept their condition, and “past on.” Usually it's eyes remain closed. However, if the child soul refuses the comfort and becomes an angry spirit, it's eyes open fully, and it will take the child's soul to hell.
So far, so good. It is interesting, though, that Kagome becomes involved in what is, spiritually, an everyday occurrence. Unfortunately, children suffer and die all the time. Although her powers are slowly developing, the only experience she has with the dead up to this time is when Shippou's father's spirit protects them from Hiten's attack. And that simply happens, she is not “involved.”
When she first sees Mayu, she is not aware of anything different about her until she vanishes in fire. And then she wonders if she is a youkai. Only after what happens in the hospital, and then at the apartment, does Kagome put two and two together. That's when she consults Myouga, and learns about the Soul Piper.
What is interesting, is that when she first sees the Soul Piper, it tries to communicate with her, as if to warn her. Why would Kagome even be aware of it's presence, even if she is beginning to notice the dead. I think that the Soul Piper is trying to warn Kagome of what is happening. I can't believe that such a gentle being would be happy dragging angry child souls, like Mayu's, to Hell, without them having a chance to escape their emotional prisons. What is happening, though, is more than just a rescue of an unhappy soul; it is a test. Through out the whole of the InuYasha story, many of the characters are tested in one way or another; not just InuYasha and Sesshoumaru.
This is a test for Kagome, of her character, and her will. Such a test is called the Harrowing of Hell. The Harrowing of Hell is found in the myths and legends of many cultures. It is usually a trip to the underworld by a hero(or heroine), sent by divine will to fulfill a destiny.
The Soul Piper appears to her, “speaks” to her, and then, when she attempts to find Mayu, seems to try and pull her into Hell also. But Kagome stands firm. She grabs Mayu when the chains pull her down, and refuses to let go. She comforts her, and convinces her that her mother still loves her. The chains break, and she literally pulls Mayu out of Hell. I wonder if Kikyou would have ever been able to do that?
Kagome's spiritual power and her skills develop slowly, but steadily, after this. She is more sure of herself, and able to act more decisively. She's not by any means a Miko, yet. But she is getting there. And I think that if she had not gone through this experience, she would have died when Urasue tried to take her soul to revive Kikyou. Soon after, relatively speaking, Miroku, and then Sango and Kirara join the group, and the Inu-gumi is complete.
The Harrowing of Hell is an element having to do with the Hero's Journey. In fact the whole of the story of InuYasha is a Hero's Journey, from the gathering of the hero's companions, the Tests, and most important, the Great Destiny. I could go on forever, so I won't. If you want more info, look up Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces.
So the story of InuYasha is a Hero's Journey. Kagome's journey. She is the one who nearly goes to Hell. She is the one who gathers the companions together. She is the one who searches for the Jewel Shards, and purifies them. And in the end, she is the one who defeats the Shikon no Tama. She has lots of help, even from Sesshoumaru. But she is the force that holds everything together. And just when it seems she has lost what matters most to her, she returns to where she belongs and to the man she truly loves. She "fulfills" her destiny.
So to all those nitpickers out who complained about "to many upgrades," or "what is going on Here?" remember, even the Soul Piper has a purpose that is more than meets the eye.
And in the end, the heroine gets the guy, and lives happly-ever-after!
Milareppa: I totally agree with you. Sesshoumaru has now become a taiyoukai. He may not be up there with his father yet, but give him a few hundred years, and he'll make it! ;D
To the Realm of the Dead
This is about Tatari Mokke, the Soul Piper, and how it's presence in the story may be more than just filler.
Myouga calls the Soul Piper a youkai. To some extent, youkai are part of the real world, spirit (not spiritual) essences of all things that exist in the physical world. And death is part of the Real World. Myouga says that it is produced by the souls of the dead children. The Soul Piper acts as a psychopomp, a spiritual, sometimes divine, guide, who eventually leads the soul of the dead to the otherworld (think Hermes, Messenger of the Greek Gods).
The Soul Piper, seeks out the souls of children who have died but refused to move on to the afterlife. It comforts them, and amuses them by playing it's pipe. In time they accept their condition, and “past on.” Usually it's eyes remain closed. However, if the child soul refuses the comfort and becomes an angry spirit, it's eyes open fully, and it will take the child's soul to hell.
So far, so good. It is interesting, though, that Kagome becomes involved in what is, spiritually, an everyday occurrence. Unfortunately, children suffer and die all the time. Although her powers are slowly developing, the only experience she has with the dead up to this time is when Shippou's father's spirit protects them from Hiten's attack. And that simply happens, she is not “involved.”
When she first sees Mayu, she is not aware of anything different about her until she vanishes in fire. And then she wonders if she is a youkai. Only after what happens in the hospital, and then at the apartment, does Kagome put two and two together. That's when she consults Myouga, and learns about the Soul Piper.
What is interesting, is that when she first sees the Soul Piper, it tries to communicate with her, as if to warn her. Why would Kagome even be aware of it's presence, even if she is beginning to notice the dead. I think that the Soul Piper is trying to warn Kagome of what is happening. I can't believe that such a gentle being would be happy dragging angry child souls, like Mayu's, to Hell, without them having a chance to escape their emotional prisons. What is happening, though, is more than just a rescue of an unhappy soul; it is a test. Through out the whole of the InuYasha story, many of the characters are tested in one way or another; not just InuYasha and Sesshoumaru.
This is a test for Kagome, of her character, and her will. Such a test is called the Harrowing of Hell. The Harrowing of Hell is found in the myths and legends of many cultures. It is usually a trip to the underworld by a hero(or heroine), sent by divine will to fulfill a destiny.
The Soul Piper appears to her, “speaks” to her, and then, when she attempts to find Mayu, seems to try and pull her into Hell also. But Kagome stands firm. She grabs Mayu when the chains pull her down, and refuses to let go. She comforts her, and convinces her that her mother still loves her. The chains break, and she literally pulls Mayu out of Hell. I wonder if Kikyou would have ever been able to do that?
Kagome's spiritual power and her skills develop slowly, but steadily, after this. She is more sure of herself, and able to act more decisively. She's not by any means a Miko, yet. But she is getting there. And I think that if she had not gone through this experience, she would have died when Urasue tried to take her soul to revive Kikyou. Soon after, relatively speaking, Miroku, and then Sango and Kirara join the group, and the Inu-gumi is complete.
The Harrowing of Hell is an element having to do with the Hero's Journey. In fact the whole of the story of InuYasha is a Hero's Journey, from the gathering of the hero's companions, the Tests, and most important, the Great Destiny. I could go on forever, so I won't. If you want more info, look up Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces.
So the story of InuYasha is a Hero's Journey. Kagome's journey. She is the one who nearly goes to Hell. She is the one who gathers the companions together. She is the one who searches for the Jewel Shards, and purifies them. And in the end, she is the one who defeats the Shikon no Tama. She has lots of help, even from Sesshoumaru. But she is the force that holds everything together. And just when it seems she has lost what matters most to her, she returns to where she belongs and to the man she truly loves. She "fulfills" her destiny.
So to all those nitpickers out who complained about "to many upgrades," or "what is going on Here?" remember, even the Soul Piper has a purpose that is more than meets the eye.
And in the end, the heroine gets the guy, and lives happly-ever-after!