Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Various Notes
Dark Flower
The purplish-black flower that enfolds with Beryl inside during the final battle may stand for the dark entity or crone aspect against the purity of Usagi. It's filled with dark energy. It also bears a resemblance to flowers seen earlier in the series that were used by the Dark Kingdom to take energy from victims to feed to Metallia.
Kurozuishou
Black crystal.
The Legendary Holy Blade
The sword is a symbol of courage, strength, and protection. In many tales, swords are given to the hero for advancing justice. The Holy Blade appears only in the manga. This symbolism could fit with Uranus' sword as well.
Locket
Symbol of love between Serenity and Endymion, and in present between Usagi and Mamoru. During the final battle, it is from hearing the melody and touching the locket that Endymion is cleansed of the dark energy. It is a symbol of remembrance and a keepsake.
Moon Stick
Wands are conductors of power or supernatural forces, and are also tools of transformation. The sceptre is one item it is associated with. Sailor Moon uses this as one of her first weapons.
Movement of the Stars
Phrase and Fable says, "The stars were said by old astrologers to have almost omnipotent influence on the lives and destinies of man." Nephrite reads the movement of the stars before determining a course of action.
Albireo: Star of constellation Cygnus. From ep. 15.
Chiron: A star of Saggitarius. Named from the inventor who was said to create the constellation. From ep. 14.
Cygnus: The Swan. This constellation is mentioned in ep. 15.
Gemini: Castor and Pollux, from ep. 21.
Leo: Constellation of the lion, ep. 19.
Lyra: From the lyre invented by Hermes. This constellation is mentioned in ep. 16.
Orpheus: Mythical Greek poet who's music could tame wild beasts and move any being. He was husband to Eurydice, and moved Persephone so that she allowed the poet to take his wife from the underworld on condition he not look back before they completely cleared the underworld. Impatient, Orpheus looked back, and Eurydice was forced to return to Hades forever. This star is mentioned in ep. 18.
Regulus: Star of constellation Leo. Seen in ep. 19. Called so by Copernicus, and for some time thought to rule the heavens.
Saggitarius: The Archer. This constellation appears in ep. 14.
Sirius: The Dog-star. Seen in ep. 17; Nephrite calls it the Devil Star.
Vega: Star of constellation Lyra. Mentioned in ep. 16.
Nijizuishou
Rainbow crystal.
Serpent Girl of Ep. 40
This is an excerpt from The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Vol. 2, under the notes from a short story called Bewitched by Ueda Akinari: "He incorporates specific my making elements from the no play Dojoji. In the play, itself derived from folklore and eleventh-century miracle stories, rejection (or, in the Buddhist scheme of things, passion) transforms a lovesick girl into a serpent. Sexual heat takes a new and deadly form when the venomous snake destroys the man who jilted her... The original title, A Serpent's Lust, would have suggested to eighteenth-century readers, if only subliminally, the danger of dragon ladies, a threat already embedded in Japanese literature. But Akinari reverses the usual narrative. If jealousy can transform a woman into a serpent, he says, then love can turn a serpent into a woman" (p. 635). Since the themes are similar, I thought I'd include this excerpt.
Skeleton Mountain Legend
This very nifty tidbit and comparison was submitted by Nebby for ep. 30:
In one of the Rainbow Crystal-Arc episodes it's discovered Rei's grandfather holds one and is attacked and he then turns into a demon-like monster. In Japanese mythology a Buddhist priest falls in love with a woman (which is considered a sin I'm told) and as punishment the Gods turned him into a devil and he began to destroy his own temple, Here's what I found on a site called Encyclopedia Mythica (www.pantheon.org):
"A Japanese priest from the mountain Hakkotsu-San ("Skeleton Mountain"). The priest once loved a girl, which is a sin for Buddhist priests. He became an okuma, a devil, and destroyed his own temple. As an old man he recovered his wits and sat down to pray. He went on muttering prayers after he died, becoming a praying skeleton." The man is called Ajari Joan.
Rei's grandfather certainly likes girls (and their panties heh) and then he is later turned into that red-devil Youma by Zoisite when he takes Rei's Grandfather's Rainbow Crystal. He caused alot of havoc and damage to the shrine and also the shrine is located on a hill which would fit in with Skeleton Mountain. But I don't remember Rei's grandfather becoming a praying skeleton.
Crystal Ball
Its use can be traced back to the Druids, and was once called a "stone of power." A crystal ball known as tama is an eternity symbol in Japan. Wiseman had a kind of crystal ball.
Door of Time
Has the phases of the Moon carved on its panels, a symbol of the passage of time.
Dowsing
In ep. 79 Esmeraude uses her piece of black crystal to find an energy point in a method similar to dowsing.
Nemesis
Nemesis was the "divinity of vengeance," and "the personification of divine retribution." She punished undeserved happiness and re-established order. She was also a nymph moon goddess.
Nemesis, in Sailor Moon, is home to the Black Moon Family who believe they were wrongly exiled from Earth, and now seek vengeance on her people for their exile.
In astronomy, there was once a hypothetical companion star to the Sun called Nemesis. Nemesis was used to explain one theory that caused the dinosaurs' extinction. Perhaps every 30-32 million years this companion star orbits the Sun, and in ancient times altered comets in the Oort cloud (also hypothetical entity), which caused one to impact the Earth.
Sakura
Hanami are cherry blossom viewing parties held under the flowering trees. People will gather for Hanami parties under the blossoms in the spring to eat, sing, talk, basically enjoy themselves while watching the cherry-blossoms. These are very popular. In Sailor Moon, Hanami is seen in episode 51.
Scepter
From the Greek for a staff. It is an emblem of royalty, signifying royal dignity and authority. This is a signiture item of Sailor Moon's.
Staff
Can represent protection, leadership, guidance, or power. Various characters in the series have staffs. Neo-King Endymion and Sailor Pluto are two examples.
Amulet
A small object that protects its wearer. Hotaru talks about her amulet protecting her in the manga.
Black Star
The five-pointed star can be a symbol for the Alpha and Omega, the coming together of beginning and end. The pentagram's five points can be a symbol for the 4 elements controlled by spirit. The star within a circle can mean wholeness or protection, or the focus of energy. In Egypt it was believed the King had two souls, the Ka and the Ba. The Ba was the immortal part of the soul and sometimes symbolized by a star. Any of these ideas could be behind the symbol of the star standing for Pharoah 90 and the villians in this season of Sailor Moon.
Butterfly
Symbol for metamorphosis, transformation of the soul. In Japan, it is a symbol for womanhood, and at one time thought to be the soul of a woman or man. In China, it symbolizes longevity. In the mythology of Japan, they carry the souls of those who have died, sometimes they may be the souls of the living; or it delivers a message and following it will lead to a mystery's solution.
The butterfly is a symbol of regeneration. The butterfly "image of the goddess has an early philosophical connection between cyclical lunar time and the regenerative role of the goddess in the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth" (Gimbutas, 285).
In Sailor Moon, butterfly imagery during the third season is associated with Sailor Moon. The lunar connection is obvious. In the manga, after Saturn uses her power of destruction, Sailor Moon resurrects the people and all that was destroyed. In both versions, she has the power of rebirth to bring back Saturn as a baby. She could be a symbol of a regenerative goddess, thus the butterfly imagery. Saturn and Moon together, death (the silence) and life, could also stand for regeneration. In both the manga and anime, both dresses of Queen and Neo-Queen Serenity have the back of the gown in the shape of butterfly wings.
Casablancas
The Casablanca Lily is symbolic of virginity of purity. This is Rei's favorite flower, and features in the manga story of Volume 11, Casablanca Memory.
Cross
In Japan, the cross is used as a symbol of sacrifice. In Sailor Moon, the cross is used at Queen Serenity's death after sacrificing herself for daughter and court (the pillars of the destroyed palace form a cross that she dies on). In the first film, Sailor Moon is held by Fiore in a crucifix position. When Rubeus kidnaps the senshi, he places them on crystal crosses. And towards the end of the third season, Hotaru is seen hung on a cross.
Dolls
In Japan, dolls were once believed to be able to come alive. The belief echoed the idea that much love given will bring life to something. They were also known for their lifelike features. From generation to generation dolls were handed down, sometimes retaining wonderful condition for over a hundred years. When a doll finally does become broken, it is finally regarded as dead and offered up to Kojin. Its remains are laid in a small shrine before the enoki tree where Kojin is said to reside. It is said the doll once had a soul, and desired to bestow the gift of maternity to those who longed for it. The old belief of dolls having a soul may have something to do with the dolls scattered at Hotaru's feet while possessed by Mistress 9 during the third season.
Holy Chalice
Legend says the Holy Grail can bestow eternal life, but only those with a pure soul can touch it. The Grail is also seen as the object of a quest, notably a spiritual quest. The Holy Grail has been a symbol of immortality, reincarnation, and redemption.
With the three talismans brought together, the Holy Chalice appears. Sailor Moon as the good messiah then uses the power for strength and to save those she loves. Her pure heart allows her to use it.
Hostie
French term used in the manga around act 31. In Alex Glover's translations, the word is translated as soul. From Ian Miller: "The characters in the manga use the term to mean something like sacrifice or victim. The kanji that are associated with the term mean holy body, which makes sense. The holy body is the victim who will be sacrificed."
Also, the word comes from the Latin hostia, meaning victim, the Host of the Eucharist. The host used in Christian mass either represents the Lord, or literally is the flesh of God (Catholicism), and when taken in by the disciple, represents the taking in of the spirit of God.
Infinity Symbol
An eight on its side is known as an infinity symbol or lemniscate. Lemnisus, the Latin word for ribbon, describes the shape itself. It is the spiritual symbol for eternity or higher spiritual powers, as well as the mathematical for infinity. It has also been adapted to ideas of twins or pairing. At the same time, it has been used to stand for the union or equality of female and male powers, which can lead to knowledge of the infinite.
Magus
A magi. I found an interesting quote, "It was inferred that they (magi) were astrologers who interpreted dreams and watched the stars for a sign that a redeemer was about to be born" (Metford, 165). Magus also means "wise man," and was one possible title of a male witch. Used in manga.
Messiah
A messiah is an expected savior. Themes of rebirth and renewal are combined with themes of death or the final judgement many times in messianic myths.
Michiru's Mirror
One of the beliefs attached to mirrors at Shinto shrines is that if an evil spirit approaches, its true form will be reflected. In the anime, Michiru's mirror seems to hold the power to reflect the truth.
Omega Area
Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and symbolizes the end.
Pure Heart Crystals
In Shinto, purity of the heart (inner purity), is said to be one of the two significations of purity. The talismans are to appear from pure heart crystals.
Sasanquas
In the Japanese Language of Flowers, they mean reliance and modesty. In the manga, they are Makoto's favorite flowers.
Taioron Crystal
From Ian Miller: The "Taioron" is written not in kanji, but in katakana characters. It doesn't look like it has much to do with Tau or Taurus. Instead, it seems to have more to do with "taio~ron" (which is written in kanji), which means something like "debate" or "interaction and argument." That make sense when you concern what Kaolinite says in act 24: "You may earn the right to be able to contact our master, Pharaoh 90, and take the benefits of the Taioron Crystal." Ian also offered this second explanation: "The explanation that I provided in my previous message doesn't show why the "o" in Taioron is short while the "o" in "taio~ron" is long. Now I have another explanation. Several Web sites mention Tioron, which is the name of a demon. Phonetically, Tioron would work if the "ti" sounds like the katakana characters for "tai." The demon idea makes sense because the name Daimon appears in the manga and anime."
Talismans
A talisman is an object that holds magical power itself and can transmit that power to its possessor. The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable says that a talisman is "under the influence of certain planets; it is supposed to be sympathetic and to communicate to the wearer influence from the planets." Sailor Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto each carry a talisman. The Three Talismans that they carry are based on the Three Treasures of Japan.
Tau Star System
T, tau, is for the Greek letter tau. An interesting note is that T also can stand for the Greek theos, God. This is where Mistress 9 and Pharoah 90 are from.
Connections to the Sleeping Beauty Fairy Tale
In the manga, the baby Princess is born and people come bestowing gifts for her. But suddenly, an unvited guest appears (Nehelenia) and she announces that she too has a gift. Before she's completely sealed away by Queen Serenity, she says her gift is the curse that the kingdom will be destroyed and the Princess will die without inheriting the throne. In the fairy tale, wise women bestow gifts on the baby princess, but an uninvited guest arrives and in anger her present is a curse on the child that when she is of age she will prick herself on a spindle and die (like Princess Serenity, she will die when she comes of age and not inherit her kingdom). In the fairy tale, the princess' curse is changed so that she won't die but sleep for a hundred years. In Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity's fate is changed when her mother uses the last of her strength so that her daughter will be reborn in the future and inherit her kingdom one day.
The other connections to the fairy tale are found in the Nehelenia arc of Sailor Stars. In the anime, Mamoru is held in a kind of sleep in the castle of Nehelenia and Usagi must battle through thorns to reach him. In the fairy tale, the princess is asleep in the castle, and the prince must battle his way through thorns to awaken her.
Crystal Carillon
Bell. Symbol of summoning, they also announce a decisive moment. The bell's shape makes it representative of the vault of Heaven. Chibi Moon uses the Crystal Carillon to summon Pegasus.
Elysion
Storms and snow never fell there. Elysion had its own stars and sun. It was always peaceful and happy. In the beginning, only children of gods were allowed, but later the souls of the just or favorites of gods, were as well. In Sailor Moon, this is the abode of Helios, and when not ravaged by the Dead Moon Circus, if can fit the first part of the description. Also, some believe that all that exists is sustained by inner spirit. This reminds me of Helios, spiritual guardian and sustainer of Endymion's kingdom.
From Kathy Isham: Elysion is also a segment of Hades, the land of the dead - specifically, the segment of Hades that was considered paradise and was essentially equivalent to the Christian heaven.
Mirrors
In Japanese mythology, the mirror is significant. It is said to be the soul of a woman as a sword is to a samurai. A proverb says, "When the mirror is dim, the soul is unclean." When the heart is free of evil thought and is clear, the mirror will reflect the purity of the soul. In the East, mirrors were thought to have special powers, and were used for exorcisms and festivals. Mirrors are also found on Shinto altars. In Sailor Moon Supers, the brighter the mirror, the purer the soul and dream.
Nehelenia's Mirror
Involving Japanese mirrors in legend, "through constant reflection of its owner's face, draws to itself the very soul if its possessor" (Davis, 190). This legend reminds me of her mirror in the anime. Also, Andrews in her entry on Mirrors says: "Mirrors symbolize reflection and light, and in nature myths, specifically the light of the sun and the moon. This symbolism is linked to the ancient belief that mirrors trapped a person's soul. In a sense, they trapped the soul of many a moon goddess and many a sun goddess when these deities showed themselves to the world by gazing at their reflection in the glass. The concept of the soul being trapped in the mirror led to the concept of the sun or the moon being trapped and to the belief that by using mirrors, it was possible to bring the sun or the moon mystically to earth" (146-147). This too reminds me of Nehelenia's story.
Stallion Reve
Reve is French for dream. Chibi Usa uses this to talk to Pegasus.
Webs
I'm not really sure what representation these are following in the series, or how exactly they connect to Nehelenia, but here's a little on them that I found. The spider web can represent the cosmic plan, the network of time and space. Also, since Nehelenia is the crone aspect in a triad with Chibi-Usa and Usagi, the webs could symbolize that. There's an old belief that spiders would only spin on dark days. In Japanese myths, kumo (giant spiders) have webs that can only be undone by magic.
Butterfly
Symbol for metamorphosis, transformation of the soul. In Japan, it is a symbol for womanhood, and at one time thought to be the soul of a woman or man. In China, it symbolizes longevity. In the mythology of Japan, they carry the souls of those who have died, sometimes they may be the souls of the living; or it delivers a message and following it will lead to a mystery's solution. In the last season of the anime, red light butterflies are shown to represent the energy of Princess Kakyuu. They can also be seen when Galaxia talks about the birth of lights, and in this latter case is probably a soul image.
Cauldron
In regards to the Galaxy Cauldron... The cauldron has been regarded as the cosmic womb, and also a symbol of rebirth. It has also been a symbol of the birth given to the universe by a great female deity.
Chaos
"In the beginning, Hesiod says, there was Chaos, vast and dark. Then appeared Gaea, the deep-breasted earth, and finally Eros, 'the love which softens hearts,' whose fructifying influence would thenceforth preside over the formation of beings and things" (Hamlyn, 89).
As love broke through Chaos mythologically, so does Usagi's. Also, the abyss is said to be a symbol of the universal and individual's evolution. In the manga, this can be true on the individual scale with Sailor Cosmos. Her reluctance to fight Galaxia at the abyss, and the need for her younger self to be the stronger to do so. On the universal scale, the abyss holds the end but also the beginning of all things, as the senshi discover.
Ginga TV
Ginga means galaxy in Japanese.
Golden Blossom
"In Taoism a spiritual golden blossom growing out of the crown of the head symbolizes the highest mystical enlightenment" (Biedermann, 135). In the anime, a golden blossom appears on a person's head and reveals their starseed.
Incense Burner
Incense has many examples of symbolism connected to it. For one, it is a symbol for the otherwordly, and in magic rituals of Europe, during the conjuring of spirits of the cosmos, incense was used. Kakyuu appears from an incense censer.
Ode to The Snow Queen
The Nehelenia arc at the beginning of the anime version of Sailor Stars contains a few possible references to the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of The Snow Queen. At the start of Anderson's story, a mirror made by a mischievous hobgoblin falls to earth, shattering into slivers, some no bigger than a grain of sand. Many of these fall into the eyes of humans, and sometimes it affected their hearts, turning them to ice. Two children then find themselves affected by the mirror pieces:
Kay: "Oh, something struck my heart, and I have got something in my eye!"
The little girl put her arms round his neck, he blinked his eye, there was nothing to be seen.
"I believe it is gone," he said, but it was not gone. It was one of those very grains of glass from the mirror, the magic mirror. You remember that magic mirror, in which all good and great things reflected in it became small and mean, while the bad things were magnified, and every flaw became very apparent.
Later Kay meets the Snow Queen and leaves with her, forgetting those he loved, his heart now turned to ice by the piece of glass from the mirror. At one point, Gerda is put under a spell by an old woman to forget Kay too. She lets Gerda play in her garden where every flower grows, but the old woman hides the roses knowing that Gerda would remember Kay upoin seeing them. When Gerda accidentally sees the roses, she indeed remembers Kay. In the end, Gerda makes her way barefoot to the palace of the Snow Queen, and it is Gerda's hot tears falling upon his breast that melt the ice and mirror in Kay's heart when she finds him.
The above tale can be found in Fairy Tales From Hans Christian Anderson.
In the anime, tiny pieces of glass from a mirror fall to earth and into the eyes of many humans, distorting their perception and turning their hearts cold. Instead of two children, the story is Mamoru and Usagi, and Nehelenia takes the place of the Snow Queen in a sense. A piece of glass falls into Mamoru's eye, turning his heart cold to Usagi and causing him to forget her, and Nehelenia takes Mamoru away with her. When an illusion of a garden puts Usagi under a spell to forget Mamoru, it is the rose earring worn by Sailor Jupiter that snaps her out of the dream-like spell and makes her remember him. In the end, Usagi journeys alone barefoot to the palace of Nehelenia and it is Usagi's love which saves Mamoru and everyone else.
Saffer Crystal
From Ian Miller, an older form of sapphire. This is the stone of the heavens and of the air. The star sapphire was known as the stone of destiny. The sapphire also once was associated with the lapis lazuli stone. The lapis lazuli once stood for water, the element of creation, and for the heavens. This is Galaxia's crystal in the manga.
Sailor Star Yell
This is the item used by the Starlights in their attacks. It acts much the same as a wand magically in that it is used to focus and channel the energy of each Starlight.
Starseeds
The star is a symbol of constancy, also presence of the divinity. In the anime, this is the part of the person that is eternal.
Sword of Sealing
The sword is a symbol of courage, strength, and protection. In many tales, swords are given to the hero for advancing justice. The Sword of Sealing is used by Galaxia in flashbacks in her attempt at sealing Chaos. The Sword of Sealing possessed by Galaxia is black in the present as it has been completely consumed, but the Sword is also seen in a pure state when it is given to Sailor Moon when Galaxia's starseed, ChibiChibi, takes the form of the sword in the midst of battle.
Thorns
Symbolic of hardship and sorrow. Usagi must force her way through these to reach Nehelenia's castle to save Mamoru.
Wings
Wings can be symbolic of the wings of an angel, and also the improvement of the subject. Winged creatures can be symbolic of spirituality. feathered wings can be an angelic symbol, while skin or bat wings are often used to denote evil. Eternal Sailor Moon gains wings, and in the final battle between Serenity and Chaos, Serenity possessed white feather wings and Chaos batlike wings.
Zero Star
The Zero Star of Saggitarius is where star seeds are born, and the Alpha Star of Saggitarius is the center of the galaxy, in Naoko's story. The center of our galaxy is a mystery, but the Milky Way is there, and Saggitarius is in the direction. Saggita is Latin for arrow. Two of Saggitarius' stars are named Alpha and Lambda. Remember that towards the end of the manga, the characters talk about the Lambda power.
Also, Beth Graham sent this about Sagittarius: "No one knows what the center of our galaxy is, but most astronomers believe it is a black hole. Furthermore, the center of the galaxy is within the region of the Sagittarius constellation of our sky (by constellation, I do not mean it is within those stars, a constellation is more of a location point we can see from Earth and is entirely relevant to our location on this planet). I think that is why Naoko placed the Alpha Star in the Sagittarius region. Also, this would explain the darkness of Chaos (black hole is so gravitational that even light cannot escape) and possibly even Sailor Moon's connection with it since a black hole is formed from a star (Sailor Moon)."
Metford, JCJ. Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend. Thames and Hudson, 1983.
For Davis, Hamlyn, Biedermann, and Andrews, see Bibliography on my main site.
