|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Duelists (and Others) in Shoujo Kakumei Utena
Tenjou Utena
tenjou: heaven above
utena: calyx
"In Christian symbology the calyx, open
at the top, suggests the receiving of
God's gifts, childlike joy in the Garden of
Eden, but also the transitory nature of all
earthly beauty, which can be lasting only
in the gardens of Heaven" (Biedermann, 135). The calyx protects the flower, just as Utena is the one who protects Anthy.
Pink Rose
The pink rose can mean gentility and grace, Please Believe Me, and perfect
happiness. The color pink can symbolize emotions and love from the heart.
Himemiya Anthy
himemiya: shrine princess
anthy: flower (Greek)
"Antheia was the Greek goddess called
'the blooming', or 'friend of flowers'. Her
surname was Hera. Antheia had a temple
at Argos. She was used by Cnossis as a
surname of Aphrodite. She was
considered to be in the form of a goddess
as a flower-like adolescent. Also, in Crete, she was the goddess of vegetation,
lowlands, gardens, blossoms, the budding earth, and human love" (online
Encyclopedia Mythica).
Purple
The color purple or violet is the symbolic color of royalty. It also can stand for
spirituality, linked with the blood of sacrifice. Or it can mean love and wisdom
combined.
Ohtori Akio
ohtori: phoenix
akio: living dawn
Phoenix
The phoenix has long been a symbol of both resurrection and
immortality. This bird was said to eternally rise again from the ashes
of its fire. To the alchemists it was a symbol for destruction and
then the new formation of materia prima on the way to becoming
the philosopher's stone. According to some tales, this bird dwelled at the end of the world.
The Morning Star was a name given to Lucifer. He had a cyclical quality, as Venus in the sky
could be seen as the Evening and as the Morning Star. The name Lucifer
means the bearer of light. One time, and on during the Christian era, Lucifer
became linked with lust. Dawn itself is symbolic of illumination, and of
awakening, or birth and rebirth.
End of the World
Represents transitory nature, nothing endures forever. Many ancient civilizations
built stories about the destruction of the world so that it could be recreated anew. Others,
included stories of the world moving in a linear fashion, towards destruction. The tarot card Judgement represents renewal
and the desire for immortality. Akio became End of the World when Anthy was
known as a witch, and his princely self perished.
Abraxas
During the Council meetings the
theme played is Legend of the God Named Abraxas. To the Gnostics he was
"Lord of This World," and to him were ascribed both divine and demonic
qualities. A deity of both light and dark. It was also a word to denote the
Supreme Being, of the Gnostics. It was the sum of the numbers represented by
the Greek letters of the word.
Dios and Akio as Abraxas: Dios (Spanish for God) is the embodiment of the good qualities of the Prince, and the "light" side of the Prince when compared with Akio. Akio has on at least one occasion
compared himself to Lucifer and a fallen angel. In a sense, Akio and Dios are two sides of the Prince, and a duality. the dark and the light, devil and god.
Purple/Lavender Rose
The color purple or violet is the symbolic color of royalty. It also can stand for
spirituality, linked with the blood of sacrifice. Or it can mean love and wisdom
combined. The lavender rose can mean either love at first sight or Please
Forgive Me.
Kiryuu Touga
kiriyuu: living paulownia
touga: winter bud
The paulownia in Chinese legend was said to be favored by the phoenix and cultivated for this reason.
"The paulownia has continued to hold special meaning for the Chinese even into recent times. Before Mao Tsetung came to power, Chinese intellectuals gathered for
companionship in groves of paulownias. An educated Chinese aspired to become chun-tzu, a man of complete virtue. Because the living paulownia has soft, brittle wood that becomes
hard and strong after it is cut, the Chinese considered the tree to have a tender heart and steady character, the very essence of chun-tzu."*
*From a link sent by Gaudiora: http://www.hrw.com/science/si-science/biology/plants/tree/paulowni.html
Red Rose
The red rose is a symbol for love and passion.
The color red is symbolic of fire, strength, mortal
combat, life, and love. It is the color of sacrificial
blood in Christian tradition.
Saionji Kyouichi
saionji: west garden temple
kyouichi: pod one
Green Rose
Pale colored roses usually stand for friendship. The color green
can be a symbol for the natural world, hope, faith, immortality, youth, spring, immaturity,
and envy.
Arisugawa Juri
arisugawa: existence living river
juri: tree
Orange Rose
An orange or coral rose means To Speak Your Desire, and
implies desire. The color orange can be a symbol of fertility, or
fire.
Locket
This is my own interpretation of Juri's locket. It is a symbol for herself, her heart. A locket
keeps something hidden inside it, that only the wearer knows. Juri hides her feelings, locks
them away inside herself, just as she hides her photo of the one she loves locked away in
her locket.
Kaoru Miki
kaoru: fragrant
miki: trunk
Blue Rose
The color blue is a symbol of the intellect and
spirit. It is reflective, and the color of truth, water,
the heavens. The blue flower of the Romantics can mean great aspirations of the spirit. Pale blue is the
color of a serene conscience.
Stopwatch
In psychoanalysis, the watch or clock can be a symbol for human emotions. It can also
symbolise the transitory nature of human existence. In the series, the purpose of Miki's stopwatch is very ambiguous. There are several theories as to what that
purpose might be. One could be that like the other characters in this series, it's simply a peculiarity, perhaps an obsessive-compulsive action on his part. A second theory is that
there could be a connection between Miki's desire to return to a time that's gone and a probable obsession with time and his stopwatch. Or a third theory could be that because time
doesn't flow normally in the Academy, perhaps Miki suspects this and it's one reason for the stopwatch. Trying to time time but being unable to.
Kiryuu Nanami
kiryuu: living paulownia
nanami: seven nut
Yellow Rose
The meaning of the yellow rose is jealousy, joy, friendship,
Remember Me, or Decrease of Love. The color yellow
symbolises the transitional stage in alchemy. It also means constancy, glory, wisdom, and
faith.
From Radicaledward079: "Nanami duels with a sword and a dagger, as does Tsuwabuki. In Hamlet, Hamlet asks his friend what Laertes' weapon is, and is told:
"a rapier and a dagger". Laertes wants revenge for what Hamlet did to his sister (Ophelia) and father (Polonius), and Nanami wants revenge for what Utena did to Touga."
Tsuchiya Ruka
tsuchiya: tsuchi-soil, ya-valley
ruka: ru-lapis lazuli, ka-fruit
Blue Rose
Blue is the color of the spirit and intellect. It can
also be the color of immortality and the heavens. It
can symbolize the greatest aspirations of the spirit
also. It is the color of mystery and fidelity.
Ohtori Kanae
ohtori: phoenix
kanae: sapling scent or scented sapling
White Flower
The flower displayed on the desks during her duel may either be a
white lily or white poinsettia. The lily is a flower of purity, and also a
flower of royalty (the fleur-de-lis of France). It can also be a symbol
of pallid death. In Chrisitianity, they symbolize resurrection. In the
Japanese Language of Flowers, the poinsettia is a flower of
weddings and means blessing.
Kaoru Kozue
kaoru: fragrant
kozue: tree top
Mug with Milkshake
Milk has been a symbol for a pure sacrifice to the gods and
as their food. In Kozue's case, the mug or milkshake seems
to symbolize the bond between her and Miki.
Takatsuki Shiori
takatsuki: high zelkova serrata
shiori: weaving branch
Bird on Perch
Birds often symbolize the desire to reach heaven or
a higher sphere.
Tsuwabuki Mitsuru
tsuwabuki: tsuwa-stone, buki-butterbur
mitsuru: beautiful bine
Unfinished Candybar
The unfinished candybar represents an indirect kiss. In Japan, kissing is such an intimate act
that it connotates romantic love, or sexual foreplay. Sharing
an unfinished candybar or touching lips to anything
another person's has touched is considered an indirect
kiss and contains a highly emotional content.
Shinohara Wakaba
shinohara: bamboo field
wakaba: young leaf
Leaf Hairclip
A rose leaf can mean There is Hope. The online
Dictionary of Symbolism says, "While green leaves
depict hope, renewal, and revival, dead leaves
represent decay and sadness. In general, leaves are
symbolic of fertility and growth, and in the Chinese
tradition the leaves of the Cosmic Tree represent all
of the beings in the universe."
Sonoda Keiko
sonoda: sono-garden, da-rice field
keiko: kei-stalk, ko-child
Umbrella
The umbrella can be a symbol of protection or the heavens'
canopy, or the shade. For Keiko it probably symbolizes her one
moment of being with the person she loves, her moment of being
special.
Mikage Souji
mikage: mi-honorable (honorific prefix), kage-shadow
souji: sou-grass, ji-time
Photo
On desk in arena is a photo of Mamiya (the Mamiya Mikage
remembers) and Tokiko together. By the end of the duel,
Mamiya's picture has changed to that of the real Mamiya. The
photo symbolizes Mikage's memory he holds to, the one he is
trying to make last forever. It was he who set fire to the Hall
and killed the students, not Tokiko's brother. The Mamiya he
created, stood for the guilt Mikage felt and the memory of her
brother that he created to replace his own memory and guilt. At
the same time, those in the photo were the two people who
brought meaning into his life. The photo represented his
precious memory he wanted to make last forever, the memory
of the woman he loved, and the young boy he had wanted to save.