Anime-Myth.com v. With You

Seven Gods of Good Fortune to Symbols

Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
Seven Gods of Good Fortune
Shadow
Shinma (Vampire Princess Miyu)
Sleeping Beauty
Snake/Serpent
Snow Queen
Snow White
Swan Maiden
La Sylphide
Symbols from Ep. 22. Nemuro Memorial Hall (Utena)

Sacrifice

The following tie to Norse mythology in Berserk is provided by Douglas Jordan: Guts lost an eye and hand in the final episode, quite possibly paralleling Odin's sacrifice of an eye and Tyr's sacrifice of a hand in Norse mythology. Perhaps Guts gained some wisdom when losing his eye (other than just realizing that Griffith was evil). And like Tyr, who lost his hand to Fenrir the enemy of the gods, Guts loses his hand to evil.

Saint

In Catholicism, an individual who leads a particularly devout life or inspiring one, or who becomes a martyr to the faith may be brought forth to be dubbed a saint. For this to happen proof must be brought forth that good works result from prayers given to this individual to intercede for them either directly through a miracle or speaking for the individual to God and a miracle resulting. No deification or such is placed on saints, simply an acknowledgement they do indeed work God's will even in death, sometimes as a type of guardian.

The title of Saint for Saint Tail is fitting, though only used as a comparison of what a saint does and not to imply Meimi herself is literally a saint. Someone will come to Seira, a nun in training, and confess a wrong in their life that needs righting or that they are in need of help and looking for comfort. Seira then tells Meimi who takes action on the person's behalf and works to help them.

Salamander

From OVA 2 of Licca: Wondrous Yunia Story. He dwells in the maze and seems to control shadows and illusions, he has a hypnotic swirl on his belly and first appears to Licca after taking over her shadow and giving it a wicked grin, then he emerges from it to talk to her.

Sand/Sandman

The Sand-man was a story from 1817 written by E. T. Hoffmann. He also wrote the Nutcracker. The narrator's mother explains that as a child she explained she would say the Sand-man is come to her children and it meant: "...you are sleepy and can't keep your eyes open, as if somebody had put sand in them." An old woman in the story paints a more ferocious picture: "Oh! he's a wicked man, who comes to little children when they won't go to bed and throws handfuls of sand in their eyes, so that they jump out of their heads all bloody; and he puts them into a bag and takes them to the half-moon as food for his little ones; and they sit there in the nest and have hooked beaks like owls, and they pick naughty little boys' and girls' eyes out with them." The childhood image of the Sand-man is mingled in the narrator's mind with reality and the figure of a character named Coppelius in the psychological tale.

Since then the Sandman has become a childhood superstition passed down through the generations. He carries a bag of sand which he uses to sprinkle in the eyes, mostly of children, and put someone to sleep. The grit or sand one wakes with in the morning in the corner of their eye is explained to come from the sand he brings. There is an expression that to tell someone the Sandman's coming means they're getting sleepy or will be sleepy soon.

From Joanna: "John Blund is the Swedish equivalent to the Sandman, I think. John Blund flies around with his huge umbrella (like Mary Poppins or Madicken). The inside of the umbrella is the nightsky. John himself is usually a young boy (around eight or so) and he sprinkles fairy glitter in the air over childrens' beds so they become sleepy.

The name Blund is anoher form of "blunda" which is about the same thing as having your eyes shut. So his name becomes John Shut-eyes loosely translated."

The dust the Sleep Card in Cardcaptor Sakura uses reminds me of the idea of the sand sprinkled by the "Sandman" to put people to sleep. From OVA 2 of Dream Hunter Rem sand is a symbol for time, like with the hourglass, but also connotates dreams, as expressed in the above.

After losing a duel to Marik in Yu-Gi-Oh!, Mai is imprisoned in an hourglass. The running sand stands not only for time but also memories as she is losing them one by one as the grains fall. Mai is held in this state in the Shadow Realm, a kind of underworld, other world, the unconscious or any number of possible representations.

Sarcophagus

The coffin. From Manfred Lurker's dictionary: "It was expected that the sarcophagus would grant eternal power which was made accessible to the deceased by means of symbols, magical pictures and spells recorded on the walls" (103). The sarcophagus in the Yu-Gi-Oh anime holds the seven Millenium Items (the items of great power). Shadi is their keeper.

Saturn

Saturnus (the sower). He was god of the harvest. His reign was called the golden age. During his rule there was equality in social rank. He was husband to Ops, the goddess of fertility. Saturnalia (December 17) was his sacred festival. It represented a going back to the golden age. It was said that when someone was about to die, Saturn could be seen with a scythe. Sailor Saturn is one of the senshi from Sailor Moon.

Scales of Justice

From Egyptian myth, they are found in the Hall of Two Truths. In the afterlife, the deceased's heart is put on the scale to be weighed against a feather of the goddess of truth. If the heart is truthful, all is well, but if there is enough sin that it weighs more than the feather, then the waiting Ammit will eat the soul. One of the Millenium Items is the Millenium Scale, probably taken from the Scales of Justice, in the anime Yu-Gi-Oh.

Scherazade

Scheherazade was the woman who narrates the tales in the Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Scherazade is the name of Allen's guymelef in Vision of Escaflowne.

Scorpion

A giant scorpion is summoned in the duel Odion and Joey in Yu-Gi-Oh, and guards the temple on the field and the God card within. The scorpion was a form of the goddess Selket, a protector goddess, notably of the dead. Thus the scorpion was a fitting guardian for Odion to summon.

Scrolls

In the Karua Mau movie the two sisters use scrolls with incantations. In an attempt to wrap and seal a spirit they say: Karura Heaven-Earth Writing! (to seal) and Karura Malignant Spirit Scroll! Bind! At another point Shii holds a rolled scroll and says "Karura Heavenly Writing! Reveal!" and a Nara spirit is made to show itself.

From the Ranma 1/2 movie, the Scroll of Luck is a recipe. But the scroll is important as Kirini's destined wife is told to hold the other half. And while Lychee is the true fiancee, as Akane by circumstance is found with half the scroll a misunderstanding ensues as she's thought to be Kirini's destined bride.

Seashells

Seashells can be associated with mermaids. The mahou shoujo series Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch uses shells for the magical items. They have a seashell shaped locket with a pearl inside that they can use to transform. And in Disney's The Little Mermaid Ursula (the sea witch) did too (she trapped Ariel's voice in the seashell she wore around her neck, and later when the shell was shattered her voice was released).

From Larry: I can't say about other cultures, but they have magical meanings in Chinese folklore. There is a thread of folktales about magical girls that appear out of shells and is part of what the folklorists call the "magical spouse" theme. Ed Yound illustrated a folktale under the title, "White Wave," I believe.

Seasons

The theme of seasons can be seen in the opening of the Wedding Peach OVA. Momoko is associated with spring and has birds fly past her. Hinagiku with summer and is shown standing in the rain with an umbrella. Yuri with autumn, standing under a tree with leaves falling about her. And Scarlet with winter, the snow falling round her. Associations of winter with sadness, loneliness, and themes of different types of love can be found in the manga Shirahime Shou. We see the seasons pass around the girls in the opening credits of Himiko-den as well, and as the wind blows past them it is a symbol of their being caught up in destiny and their lives changing forever.

The Kakyuusei TV series runs through the seasons with its characters, beginning and ending in springtime. Falling leaves, snow, cherry blossoms, all appear to show the state of the emotions of the characters as they fall in love and move on from love for the first time. An example is ep 10 where Miyuki is walking alone under the falling autumn leaves and throughout this episode the fellow she likes has been with Miko, but too she knows her best friend Ai is in love with the same man as well. The season reflects not just the seasonal change but the change coming in relationships as Ai and Miyuki will have to go head to head now to win the man they love even amidst their friendship.

Selene

Her name is from the Greek for light, radiance, and brightness. She was the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister to Eos and Helios. Once her brother finished his journey across the sky, it was Selene's turn to pull her chariot across the heavens. She paused only to kiss her lover Endymion (the setting sun).

Selene was the Greek goddess of the Moon. She has been pictured as a beautiful young girl wearing a long white gown with wings, a golden diadem, and having long white hair. The power associated with the Moon and deity Selene was enchantment.

Princess Serenity in Sailor Moon is loosely based on the goddess Selene, she lives on the moon and falls in love with the prince of Earth, Endymion. Also, the physical descrition describes both the Princess and Queen Serenity.

Sephiroth

From Davidson's A Dictionary of Angels:

A divine emanation through which God manifested His existence in the creation of the universe. In the cabala, there are 10 holy and 10 unholy successive sefiroth, the holy ones issuing from the right side of God, the unholy ones from His left.

The 10 Holy Ones:
1. Kether (crown)
2. Chokmah (wisdom)
3. Binah (understanding)
4. Chesed (mercy)
5. Geburah (strength)
6. Tiphereth (beauty)
7. Netzach (victory)
8. Hod (splendor)
9. Jesod (foundation)
10. Malkuth (kingdom)

The sephiroth is seen in the opening credits and on the roof of Gendo's office in the series Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Set

Egyptian god of darkness and evil. The character Kaiba Seto in Yu-Gi-Oh is named from this deity.

Seven Angels

A reference to the seven angels who sounded the seven trumpets in Revelations. They are the Dragons of Earth in the X series, those led by Kanoe, who seek Earth's destruction in order to make a new Earth free from the evils done by humans.

Seven Seals

A reference to the seven seals that come before the seven angels and trumpets in Revelations. They are the Dragons of Heaven in X, led by Hinoto, who seek to save both the Earth and humanity from destruction.

Shakujo

The shakujo (jingle-staff) is used by Buddhist monks to alert small creatures of their coming, so that they aren't harmed on their walks. Chichiri has such a staff in Fushigi Yuugi. Kuyo (RG Veda) has a shakujo. Also, the Ancient and Anubis in Ronin Warriors, and the monk from Dream Hunter Rem.

Shamanism

Blacker gives one of the first points needed to be considered a shaman as: "a person who receives a supernatural gift from the spirit world. The gift is bestowed usually by a single spiritual being, who afterwards becomes his guardian and guide, sometimes even his spiritual wife" (24). To help in their tasks, assistant spirits are given to the shamans to act as guides or messengers. Shamans are considered to have mastery over both spirits and fire.

Sometimes a kami may speak in dreams, delivering an answer to a problem or question plaguing the shaman or sleeper. And also, in such cases, the dreamer may awake to find an object has been given to them (a dagger, gem, etc.).

In Shamanic Princess, Sarah comes to Tiara in her dreams after she is bound to the Throne of Yord (so situation is much like one given). The gem Tiara receives that is the clue to the answer she seeks, appears and is bestowed from her dream.

In Shaman King, the powers and traditions of shamans are passed down until it is time to compete in a tournament that only occurs every 500 years for the right to be the Shaman King. It also decides mankind's fate by the winner of the tournament. As in Shamanic Princess, the shamans in Shaman King can become one with a chosen or summoned spirit and increase their own power and abilities.

Shashi from RG Veda

Maybe from Shasti, a protective goddess of children in the Hindu pantheon, or for the female form of Ganesha, also called Shasti. Or might be from Shakti, which in Buddhism and Hindu, represents the female aspect or consort of a god.

Shiguruto

From Karura Mau movie fansub endnote: Archaic term for exorcist who uses dark enchantments.

Shikkonki Demon

"A soul eater by rough translation kon is soul and ki is demon, and if shitsu is loss, it would be a soul losing demon, a demon that makes you lose your soul. i.e. soul eater."+

+From FY Pioneer DVD notes from http://www.lovely-fy.com/footnotes.htm

Shikon Jewel

For Inu-Yasha. Viz translates the name as "Jewel of Four Souls." It gives power to demons.

The story given in the anime to the origin of the Shikon Jewel is as follows: Sango takes the group to a cave which is protected by barrier created by guardian (Midoriko), her spirit. Inside is a stalagmite, a stone of the priestess in the clutches and amid the battle with the demons.

Midoriko (a priestess), from her the jewel of the four souls was born. She founded Sango's village, or at least she and people precursor to what Sango knows now. She battled demons and dragons and monsters until they merged into greater beasts and fought her. She fought alone, the legend goes, until she was forced to grab the heart/soul of a demon attacking her and rip her own out in the process (ie the jewel). The jewel is made up of four souls (the four souls that make up all living things: animals, humans, rocks, plants; very Shinto). These are Arami Tama (courage), Nikimi Tama (friendship), Fushigi Tama (wisdom), and Sakimi Tama (love). When these pieces are in harmony, then it is known as Naobi. Inside the jewel, the battle between Midoriko and the demons continues, as their souls are both locked within it. When the jewel is used for evil and evil intentions, the demon side, evil side is stronger, but when it is used for good and good intentions, then this side is stronger and good comes from the jewel. The human can then purify the jewel.

A companion like Kilala is beside Midoriko at the episode's end, so implied she did not fight alone as the legend says.

Also, looks like either sakura or lotus petals are symbol on the priestess' forhead.

Shingon Sect

Shingon ("true word") Buddhism came to Japan in the 800s by way of a man named Kukai. He brought the practices of his sect back from China. Kukai was given land on Kouya Mountain for the foundation of a monastery in 816.* In the X TV series, we see Sorata (a monk and one of the Seven Seals) living on Kouya Mountain with a stargazer, and the place is home to those of the Shingon Sect.

*From v. 1 of the Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan

Shinigami

From Joanna: Yami no Matsuei's main character is Tsuzuki Asato. Tsuzuki's fun, handsome and a glutton. He's also quite dead. He's a shinigami, a soul that in return for turning away from paradise and spending your afterlife collecting lost souls, are given a new body and thus a (kind of) second life. The shinigamis work in pairs and bring lost souls to the land of Meifu (Hades), where the souls are judged. Tsuzuki can summon shikigamis and everyone in Meifu has a special talent of their own.

Shitennou

Taishaku or Taishakuten is the Japanese name for Indra. The full Sanskrit name is Shakra Devanam Indra. Taishaku is a main tutelary god of Buddhism. He is a protective deity of the world. He is protected and served by four deity kings, the Shiten-no (Jikokuten, Komokuten, Zojoten, and Bishamonten). Indra was the ruler of the gods of the Veda. Not only was he the mightiest god, but also the god of storms, thunder, and war. He defended both deities and humans against all that was evil. He could revive those slain in battle, and had attributes of both a creator and a sun god. In the Rig Veda are found more hymns to Indra's dedication than any other. In his home, he let no suffering or sorrow pass. At his court Gandharvas entertained.

Shitennou: Four Heavenly Kings. From Japanese Buddhism. They protect the Buddhist realm, in particular, the god Taishakuten. All four have the appearance of warriors, weapon in hand. The guardian of the East, Jikokuten, usually is pictured with sword in right hand. The guardian of the West, Komokuten, has a scrolled paper in his left, and writing brush in his right hand. The guardian of the South, Zojoten, usually holds a halberd. The guardian of the North, Bishamonten, is the most powerful of the four. Vaishravana is the Sanskrit name for Bishamonten. Bishamon was a god of war, and protector against demons.

In the RG Veda OAV, Taishakuten is the ruler of heaven after slaying then claiming the throne of King Ashura. At his court, he enjoys the playing of the musician, Queen Kendappa. Bishamon is one of the four kings of heaven who serve Taishakuten. Gara and Nei both count themselves members of the Shitennou in Bastard, four great generals or leaders. Endymion's four great generals call themselves the Shitennou in Sailor Moon as well.

Shiva

Shiva was part of the Hindu Trimurti, the Destroyer. He had three eyes and four arms, Parvati was his consort, and he had many aspects such as also being a deity over the arts and fertility or creation. In the anime 3x3 Eyes, Shiva, later known as Kaiyanwang, grew more and more obsessed with power until his race finally sealed him away and he brought the destruction to the Sanjiyan Unkara, save for his bride to be, Parvati, who alone survived. Kaiyanwang's three eyes not only reflect the aspect of Shiva but more so the aspect given to the Sanjiyan of the story.

The Nail of Shiva is the glove given to Pai in 3x3 Eyes (really the snake believed to be Pai) to override Benares' magic and bring out her suppressed power of the Sanjiyan.

Shoe

Shoes can represent, in fairy tales, our attitude in relation to reality. The shoe comes up as a symbol in the Utena series.

Sickle

In BSSM ep. 75 and in Dream Hunter Rem OVA 1, Part 2 and Shin OVA 1, the spirits within the dreams attack with a sickle. While the sickle is an image associated with the Grim Reaper, sleep is sometimes associated with symbols of death like coffins in Utena or Sailor Moon, and for Sailor Moon and Rem the sickle becomes a symbol for the danger posed in the dream realm.

Siegfried

From Superpuu, look at the bottom part of the thing on Mimir. I seem to recall there being a character named Sieg in one of the .hack video games.

Silver Bullets

Rem (Dream Hunter REM) carries silver bullets with crosses on the tips. Silver bullets are traditionally thought to kill werewolves and such. It is the metal of the moon. The characters in Hyper Police also carry silver bullets.

Siren

Seiren is Greek for siren. Sirens were "one of the mythical monster, half woman and half bird,said by Greek poets to entice seamen by the sweetness of their song to such a degree that the listeners forgot everything and died of hunger; hence applied to any dangerous, alluring woman" (Wordsworth). Sailor Aluminum Seiren in BSSM gets her name from them.

Sleipner

Submitted by Nebby for Ah! My Goddess: "Sleipner is Odin's eight legged horse. In the volume of the manga Skuld appears in at one point when the 'bugs' are causing trouble Sleipner appears coming up through the floor and in one of Kosuke Fujishima's illustrations Urd is riding Sleipner."

Soma

Soma has various definitions. Soma was the gods' ambrosia, for one. It was through this drink that the gods gained immortality. For mortals, the drink brought ecstasy. For warriors it took away fear, and for poets it was the spring of inspiration.

Soma was also a moon deity. The moon was said to hold the ambrosia, soma. Due to his association with the moon, Soma became associated with Chandra, the moon deity before him.

Soma was also a plant whose sap ran through the veins of all living things, both plant and animal.

In the RG Veda OAV, Sohma is also one of the travelers with Ashura, and uses the Twin Crescents for defense, an obvious reference to her lunar association.

Spear of Longinus

Longinus was reputed to be the soldier in the Gospel of John who pierced the side of Jesus with his spear or lance. He has also been identified with the centurion of the Gospel of Matthew who said "Truly, this was the Son of God."

And from Amanda Alvis:

The Spear of Longinus-a.k.a. the Spear of Destiny. There are legends about its location which range from that is in the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy to that is inside an Austrian museum in Vienna, Austria to that is an abbey in Glastonbury, England. This spear is said to be the lance of a Roman centurion that pierced the side of the sinless and pure body of Christ. Longinus after the crucifixion became a converted Christian monk that rebelled against the Roman religion. For this, he came under fire and was s ubjected to several various tortures which included cutting off his tongue and shoving his teeth from his mouth. Through all of this, he was still able to speak clearly. He then smashed several Roman idols in front of the Roman govenor. longinus was sentenced to a beheading in front of the Roman people. When Longinus died, his blood splattered into the govenor's eyes causing him to convert to Christianity and become a monk as well. In the Glastonbury abbey, it is said to also possess a vial of the Virgin Mary's milk. In Arthurian legend, Sir Parsifal is said to be the gaurdian of the spear. It is also said that it was made during the Bronze Age by a Hebrew prophet named Phineas that forged this very spear. Supposedly, the spear also contains a nail from the "True Cross" in the spearhead. In the Vatican's hagiography, it is said to be in one of the four pillars which the altar in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy. A number of European rulers have been recorded to have had it in their hands ranging from Charles Martel to Napoleon Bonaparte, even Adolph Hitler saw it and never forgot the sight of it. In this world, it is a Catholic relic along with the Holy Grail. Longinus is said to have been a monk at Ceasara in Cappodicia.

The Spear of Longinus is made reference to in Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Sphinx

From both Egypt and the Greeks. The sphinx had the body of the lion and head of a woman. The sphinx in Greek myth guarded the path to Thebes and stopped all travelers with a riddle. In Unico in the Island of Magic, Sherri and Unico go in search of the sphinx in the desert believing she can tell them how to defeat Kuruku and set the people free from his magic, but instead they meet the baby sphinx who journey's with them.

Spiral

Related to the circle. "The spiral may have become associated with a sinking into the 'waters of death'... or to the movement of the stars through the night sky" (Biedermann, 318). It might also lend itself to the ideas of death and resurrection. The double spiral combines involution and evolution into one unity. The spiral is an important symbol in the Utena series, used in such images as the spiral staircase leading to the duel arena.

Staff of Heads

Carried by Sessho-Maru's servant Jaken in Inu-Yasha. It has an old man's head and a woman's fitted at the top. The woman's is used in the search for Sessho-Maru and Inu-Yasha's father's grave. When she speaks they know it is the wrong grave. The male head breathes out fire in a great attack. When they use the staff to tap the black pearl the male head laughs, and the seal upon the grave breaks.

Stone

Rastel in Miyazaki's Nausicaa dies and wants the stone she holds given to her twin brother Asbel. It is a control stone for the God Warrior created by Pejitei engineers. If the stone is put back the God Warrior can wake from its sleep and bring destruction. These God Warriors are much like the giants seen in the film Laputa, Castle in the Sky also by Miyazaki. These giants had been created for war, but the children find the last one left in Laputa is instead tending the trees and animals that are left in the ruins.

Hitomi's pendant in Vision of Escaflowne serves to amplify the will of her heart. When the pendant and energist of Escaflowne come together, they can create a pillar of light or great force from the fusion of both Hitomi's and Van's emotions.

As the pendant serves to amplify Hitomi's feelings, the energist in Escaflowne can sometimes do the same for Van. The drag-energist was sealed with Van's blood in a blood-pact he made to Escaflowne. The pain of Escaflowne is Van's pain. As the jewel Hitomi carries has power, so does the energist Van's guymelef carries. The energist beats like a heart when first placed in Escaflowne, and can reflect Van's heart when bound to Escaflowne (such as when the guymelef went black after Van was faced by the victims he had killed in the war).

In the film, the stone of Hitomi's pendant is a piece of Escaflowne. When the armor leaves after her and Van's first encounter with it, the tiny stone is all the remains. But it is her link to the armor and when her heart in its way calls upon the armor, the stone disappears as the armor is summonded in a pillar of light to Van's side. It could have also been an acknowledgement by the living armor that Hitomi is indeed the chosen Wing Goddess.

Also, the drag-energists are similar to draconites. "Draconites, otherwise dentrites draconius, or obsianus, is described by Albertus Magnus as a shining black stone of pyramidal figure. It is difficult to obtain, as it must be taken from the head of a dragon, cut off while the beast is still panting. It subdues all kinds of poison, and gives its possessor invincible courage. The kings of the East esteemed it as a great treasure. A.G.H." from themystica.com. The drag-energists in the series are the heart of the dragon. Van must attain his by slaying a dragon and taking it from its chest. It symbolizes courage for the future king by completing the Rite of Dragon Slay.

Sheeta wears a blue stone/crystal pendant with the insignia of the royal family of Laputa upon it in the film Castle in the Sky. This stone has been passed through the women of her family for generations. It reflects the power harnessed by those of the floating island, power to heal, protect, or to work as a compass back to the castle. It's worth noting that this pendant can be compared to the one Hitomi wears in the series Vision of Escaflowne. Though created and written by different men, both storylines deal with an advanced race who separated themselves from humans and finally brought the destruction of their culture (Laputa and Atlantis respectively), leaving behind a special stone or pendant passed through females until coming to the heroine of each story and these powerful stones guiding her back to the destiny that awaits. Whether the two works are coincidentally similar and Escaflowne is influenced from Miyazaki's work or not, the connections are worth noting.

Strawberry

"Strawberries ("ichigo") are frequently associated with sweetness and love, probably both because of their color and taste. Anime and manga examples include the lusty red/orange clad maid Ichigo in Hanaukyo Maid Tai and the sweet, red outfit wearing Ichigo Momomiya of Tokyo Mew Mew. Sweet romance is also implied in the title of the popular manga series Ichigo 100%".*

*Jan. 26, 2004 Ask John article at AnimeNation.com: What's the Significance of Fruits in Japanese Culture?

Strelitzia

From "Bird of Paradise," name of a tropical flower. In the first tale of the manga series Petshop of Horrors, the pet is a rare and beautiful bird that will only sing if it favors the person. It will sing until it knows it is being watched and he can see that person. Otherwise he will sing until his throat bleeds even and into death. The costume used in the manga is based form the Bali Legong dance costume. A Legong being a dance of the divine nymphs.*

* http://www.balivision.com/Article_Resources/Legong.asp

Stuffed Toys

Tanpopo's pink hair and large yellow ribbon in her hair give her a distinct air of perpetual childhood in Seraphim Call ep. 2. She holds her own conversations with her stuffed toys, greets them on waking, and the point of view from which her story is told is through the eyes of her toy rabbit. She is a young child, and her innocence pervades through all these elements.

From Shin OVA 1 of Dream Hunter REM. A little girl is afraid of her nightmares and needs to conquer her fear. To do so her stuffed toys come to her aid in dreamworld, but once she stands up to her fears they leave her at end of the episode as she doesn't need them anymore. They were her companions and protected her, made her feel safe as favorite toys do.

Sukuyodo

Type of Indian astrology brought to Japan, and came from China around 800. The 28 constellations were part of the basis for it. In the series, the stargazer Sorata lives with is a user of Sukuyodo in CLAMP's X TV series.

Sun

Many times the Sun may be presented in anime as a duality with the Moon. Common symbols for the Sun include the lion, fire, gold, and the King. Very often, the Sun is represented as masculine to a feminine Moon. Both Kero (lion) and Spinel (panther) represent the Sun in conjunction with Yue and Ruby Moon who both represent the Moon in CCS. In Sailor Moon, Prince Endymion and Elios are representative of the Sun to Serenity and Small Lady of the Moon. Also, the Golden Crystal held by Endymion (manga) and Elios (anime) is a Sun Symbol, in contrast to the Silver Crystal held by Serenity. In Himiko-den the sun as a traditional symbol of Japan is also the symbol of the kingdom of Yamatai, as well as an association with fire as the kingdom is ruled by the light of the sacred fire, the Bokka. There is a dualtiy symbol here too in that the invading kingdom has the imperial symbol of a black crescent for the moon with a centipede crossing it. The sun god of the Incas and found in Peru was called Inti. When angry, this is said to be the cause of an eclipse. He was shown as a human with a face surrounded by flames and bright. A festival was held each year in his honor. A tidbit to know for the anime Nazca.

Sunakake-Baba

Sand throwing witch from Japanese legend. She threw sand in the face of those who encounter her in the night. When Miaka first sees Taiitsukun in Fushigi Yuugi, she asks if she's Sunakake-baba. In ep. 19 of Wedding Peach, Hinagiku dresses as the sand woman and throws sand at the students from the little jar she carries.

Susano

God of storms, and brother of Amaterasu. He was sometimes called the Impetuous Male. A well-known tale involves his causing Amaterasu to hide herself in a cave, and take light from the world until she was lured out again. He later slayed the eight-headed dragon, Koshi, and saved Kushinada-hime whom he married. The god Susano appears in Blue Seed.

"Suwa no Iruka"

From Karura Mau movie fansub endnote: Kamatari of Nakatomi (aka Fujiwara Kamatari) brought about the fall of the Soga clan and founded the Fujiwara clan. The Soga had been the "Grand Ministers" (the power behind the throne) from the 500s until 644 when Iruka of Suwa (the last of the Soga) was defeated by Prince Nakano Ohye and Fujiwara Kamatari.

Suzaku Gate

The main gate, south gate, of the Heijo Palace. When Kyoto was planned and built it was done so under the influence of Feng Shui, thus the placement of the gate by the location of the animal deity that ruled the direction. Suzaku Gate plays a big role in the Karura Mau movie, and the evil priest uses it as the location to release demons and monsters at the film's end as well as where he needs to bring the skull of Iruka.

Sword

An angelic symbol when held by Salvia or Limone in Wedding Peach, and the Excalibur sword makes an appearance in Saint Seiya.

In some cultures there are old beliefs that spirits might reside in weapons, such as in Irish texts. Can see this idea in Bastard. Both Dark Schneider and Nei have spirits within their swords, the efreet and Nue respectively.

The Tetsusaiga from the Inu-Yasha manga is the "Steel Cleaving Fang." It's a sword hidden by Inu-Yasha's father within his own remains, and carved from one of his fangs and thus imbuing it with his demon powers. But the sword's appearance is beat-up and on the surface useless until it is meant to protect a human life and then it wakens to its full power. In its true form it is a fang and has a heartbeat. Inu-Yasha inherits it.

We see the swords used by Fuma and Kamui in the CLAMP film, X, born inside the wombs of the women who love them. From Blacker: "Sacred power is often manifested in Japan...inside a sealed vessel. In the darkness of this vessel it gestates and grows, until eventually it bursts its covering and emerges into the world" (98). This is very similar to the swords, they are a kind of sacred power which will determine the fate of the Earth, and grow inside the wombs of Kamui's mother and Kotori.

On Kamui's sword, a hexagram or Star of David is at the end of the hilt. This star shape came to be a symbol for God (so appropriate for the sword of the one whose name means God's power).

The Divine Swords are entrusted to the keeper of Togakushi Shrine in the X TV series, and born from Tohru (Kamui's mother) and Saya's (Fuma's mother) wombs. As Saya wed into the Togakushi family it was her destiny. The Final Battle will be fought by Kamui and Fuma (the twin stars) for the fate of the Earth, and so the Divine Swords are destined to be created and left to them for this purpose.

Sylph

The elemental spirit of air and wind. Sometimes said to be souls of those who died as virgins, and after became a sylph. Also, they could be protectors of humans from evil spirits, and invisible. Deedlit in Record of Lodoss War summons a sylph.