What Happens After a God Dies?

Curious Archive・2 minutes read

Dead gods and giants in various narratives symbolize themes of human hubris, disrespect for nature, and societal decay, leading to catastrophic consequences. The remains of these beings can create new life, like whalefalls or sacred sites, showcasing dedication to tradition and efforts to restore damaged environments.

Insights

  • Various narratives explore the consequences of human hubris and disrespect for the natural world through dead gods or devils, leading to catastrophic outcomes.
  • The death of a god in different stories often signifies a new beginning, with their remains fostering new life and creating foundations for fresh opportunities, showcasing a cycle of rebirth and transformation.

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Recent questions

  • What is the significance of dead gods in various narratives?

    Dead gods in narratives symbolize human hubris and disrespect for the natural order, leading to catastrophic consequences. They often represent societal decay, environmental imbalance, and the consequences of arrogance. The death of a god can also signify a new beginning, with their remains creating foundations for new life in some stories.

  • How do decomposing leviathans impact ecosystems?

    Decomposing leviathans like whales create whalefalls, feeding other lifeforms and becoming miniature ecosystems on the ocean floor. Their remains support a diverse array of organisms and contribute to the biodiversity of deep-sea ecosystems.

  • What themes are conveyed in Hyper Light Drifter?

    Hyper Light Drifter conveys themes of decay and sickness through visual storytelling, with the remains of Titans symbolizing these concepts. The game reflects the lead designer's personal experience with heart disease, using the decaying Titans to represent the effects of illness and decay.

  • What environmental issues are associated with climbing Mount Everest?

    Climbing Mount Everest leads to exploitation of Sherpa guides and environmental damage. Despite the risks and pollution, sacred sites like Everest are still visited, showcasing a dedication to tradition while efforts are made to restore these places.

  • How are dead gods portrayed in Horizon: Zero Dawn?

    In Horizon: Zero Dawn, dead gods are depicted through the holy mountain with a god called All-Mother and the tentacled Metal Devil, representing ancient technology. The narrative explores themes of human arrogance and the consequences of attempting to control powerful entities.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

"Dead Gods: Hubris and Catastrophe"

  • Levias, a giant flying whale in the game Skyward Sword, is awe-inspiring and also appears in Breath of the Wild, but dead.
  • The short film The Drowned Giant depicts a giant's corpse on a beach, initially revered as a deity but later disrespected as it decays.
  • In Xenoblade games, Titans are numerous, but in the third game, they are lifeless husks shaping the landscape.
  • Thamur, a giant in God of War, challenges Thor and influences the environment even in death.
  • Jusant features a mountain as a god, now dead, with civilizations worshipping it and evidence of human-induced ecological imbalance.
  • Mount Everest, also known as Chomolungma, is climbed by many, but the Sherpa guides face exploitation and environmental damage.
  • Horizon: Zero Dawn portrays a holy mountain with a god called All-Mother and a tentacled Metal Devil, representing ancient technology.
  • In fiction like Studio Ghibli's "Naussica" and Horizon, attempts to control demonic remains lead to apocalyptic disasters due to human arrogance.
  • The Russian movie Leviathan symbolizes societal decay through governmental corruption, likening it to the decaying Leviathan deity.
  • Human hubris and disrespect for the natural order are themes across various narratives involving dead gods or devils, leading to catastrophic consequences.

14:31

Decay and Renewal in Post-Apocalyptic Narratives

  • Breath of the Wild is a post-apocalyptic narrative set after a calamity destroyed much of civilization, symbolized by the appearance of a forgotten deity, Hylia, in a half-demolished cathedral.
  • In various stories, the death of a god can represent a new beginning, with their remains creating foundations for new life, like in Marvel Comics' Knowhere or The Owl House.
  • Decomposing remains of leviathans like whales can create whalefalls, feeding other lifeforms and becoming miniature ecosystems on the ocean floor.
  • The game Subnautica features the Lost River, a toxic environment with the bones of the Gargantuan Leviathan, suggesting the creature's decomposition creates a poisonous brine.
  • Sacred sites polluted by humans are still visited, showing a dedication to tradition despite risks, and efforts can be made to restore these places, like Everest.
  • Hyper Light Drifter, a game without dialogue, conveys themes through visual storytelling, with the remains of Titans symbolizing decay and sickness, reflecting the lead designer's personal experience with heart disease.
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