The Secret Connected Origins of Majora and the Fierce Deity

[Laughter] translating zelda games from japanese to english or to any language for that matter can be challenging and it's not always the case that a perfect one-to-one translation is possible numerous details and core plot elements are naturally lost during this localization process especially when it's a game as thematically complex and unique as majora's mask thus comparing the original japanese to the english version of majora's mask introduces a whole new level of depth to the already sheer symbolic and thematic complexity of the world and story besides elucidating the true nature of majora and the secret to the operation of its powers the japanese version alludes to the people of termina precipitating their own apocalyptic fate and to the deliberate demise of the ancient ones that used majora's mask for their hexane rituals from the legend [Music] with what began as a journey in search of a dear friend link's fate in majora's mask guides him to a skull kid who interrupts that quest for a unique adventure in the seemingly inexplicable parallel world of termina when meeting the skull kid for the first time initial impressions may tell us that he's somewhat mischievous his behavior indicates that he's a bit of a trickster perhaps not inherently evil but certainly someone who seems to be a source for trouble although he steals links ocarina and soon after his horse the skull kid does so in a jokingly way giggling and laughing to himself as he enjoys playing with his furry companions albeit at the expense of another when link attempts to prevent him from escaping with his horse the skull kid doesn't fight back and instead it's almost like he's enjoying this whole sequence as he would a game of chase or tag yet as link reaches the end of the chase the creature's playful mischievous nature takes a radical change confronted by the now enraged skull kid who uses the power of majora's mask link is sent into a dream-like state from which he awakens transformed the sight of a bewildered deco scrub is reflected back at him as the much darker tones of majora's mask begin to set in this combined with the abrupt disposal of link's horse and the questionable treatment of his own fairy companions will begin to suggest that the skull kid may be something much more lethal than a mere trickster especially as we learn that link isn't the only one who has suffered as a result of his spiteful actions thus with lynx seemingly fateful emergence in the world of termina he is sealed interminably in a three-day cycle of grief reborn and suffering unchanged that should he fail to reset will end with termina meeting its imminent apocalypse as the moon collides with it it quickly becomes apparent that by this point the skull kid is under the influence of the majora's mask or more specifically the dark entity that resides within only known as majora the majora's mask itself is stated by the happy mask salesman to be an accursed item that was used for hexane rituals by an ancient tribe and that no one knows the true nature of its power as the tribe from the legend had vanished however what's fascinating about this passage in japanese is that the truth is the tribe was in fact a race that was destroyed and did not simply disappear or vanish as the english version declares which raises the question why was this ancient race destroyed and by what or whom what kind of secrets or knowledge did they acquire about majora's mask we know that according to the legend in english the troubles majora's mask caused were described as being great which when compared to the japanese text the troubles are emphasized as disasters with the japanese word possessing numerous nuances that hint towards disasters that specifically brings misery to people of course we witness the extent majora's mask is able to bring about chaotic disruptions to the lives of the people of termina rather quickly in game cafe is transformed into a child the great fairies are shattered lands are cursed with poison and perpetual winters and not to mention the threat of the imminent fall of the moon it's as if majora is targeting people with his evil power specifically and as a matter of fact interestingly the evil power majora possesses is mentioned to be a specific kind of energy in japanese which can be unveiled by analyzing the line from the happy mask salesman near the end of the game where he mentions that evil had resided within the mosque the japanese word for the evil that the happy masked salesman uses to describe the power that the majora's mask possessed has an immense number of underlining meanings and connotations that aren't present in any single english word this word is jackie which is a japanese term that refers to a rather peculiar type of evil energy that manifests in a host and is born from a desire to inflict harm to others from feelings of despair and unstable negative emotions its prime role is to defile the purity of one's soul drain away their humanity and consume them this means that jackie doesn't envelop one from the outside but rather it devours them from the inside the english version has the happy mask salesman omits these intricacies as far back as at the beginning of the game by having him declare that the one who wears majora's mask will have an evil and wicked power bestowed upon them whereas in japanese his speech at both the beginning and end of the game is consistent instead of declaring that the majora's mask gives its wearer a dark power he actually specifically states that the one who wears it will have a terrible and evil power dwell within them this means that the wearer of majora's mask isn't granted an evil power as the english version implies but rather after donning the mask it begins to form inside of them jackie is also the same evil power that fuels ganon and ganondorf's hatred and malice in other games in the series which i've also done a video on as well as being the term for malice in the japanese text of earlier titles therefore not only is jackie a fitting power for a demonic entity but it can also corrupt the hearts of individuals which brings us back to the skull kid the being that majora manipulates the people of termina recount stories that tell us how the skull kid always had a reputation for causing trouble even before coming into contact with the majora's mask yet it was this behavior in the first place that's brought the mask into his possession through his act of ambushing the happy mask salesman the significance of all of this becomes clear when we take a look at what the japanese text reveals about skull kid's connection to termina in anju's grandmother's tale we learn of the reason behind skull kid's misbehavior in the english version she reveals that the skull kid who is referred to as an imp saw the four giants as his long-term friends and is devastated when he is abandoned by them as they decide to protect the people of termina while they slumber deprived of his dearest friends the skull kid becomes overwhelmed with confusion and grief having lost all of the bonds that connected him to others he ruptured the bonds within termina bonds between family lovers and friends bonds between people and their environments in his frustration he spread anger and dissidence all over termina the key point here is how andrew's grandmother calls the skull kid an imp and interestingly she isn't the only one to do so the happy mask salesman as well as the majority of the other characters in the game who have been wronged by the skull kid in the past refer to him as an imp in english whereas the original japanese text reveals something incredibly vital to truly understand some of the deeper meanings and underlying implications present only in the japanese story of majora's mosque in japanese the skull kid is frequently referred to or should i say labelled as a little demon by the residents of termina whilst erased in the english version of the game this is a crucial detail that correlates directly to jackie the same evil energy that majora possessed the significance of which becomes obvious when we discover that the word for demon that the people of termina use to describe the skull kid in japanese is oni this term is challenging to translate because it refers to a multi-faceted being it may be imagined as some enigmatic demon or as an elusive entity that has taken on a terrifying humanoid form in japanese buddhism specifically ani are said to be dreadful supernatural creatures that are born from negative emotions they emerge from the abyss of buddhist hell to terrify mortals and instill fear in them much of this resembles the characteristics of the skull kid who instills fear despair and sadness in the citizens of termina the emergence of a japanese demon or oni is also described as a historical manifestation of people's fear more precisely of the devastating force of phenomenological occurrences such as thunder lightning storms and earthquakes among the natural forces thunder and lightning are most strongly associated with the oni this fear results from the combined visual and auditory intensity coupled with the threat of potential instantaneous destruction that lightning can inflict the visual image of this powerful oni is predominantly masculine with a muscular body and loincloth hence skyward saw his demise with the command of thunder and lightning at his disposal is the personification of the ultimate japanese ani these attributes are also evident in ganondorf he also demonstrates the ability to discharge lightning which is representative of his demonic status as the demon king with that said japanese oni are not exclusively represented as evil beings there are also some supernatural entities that bring prosperity and so can be recognized as harbingers of wealth and fortune these types of oni actually appear throughout the zelda series numerous times for instance in skyward sword link encounters the demon batro who desires to become a human link can collect gratitude crystals and bring them to the demon who rewards him each time when enough of them have been gathered his wish is fulfilled and he is transformed from a demon into a human it's likely no coincidence that the bulk of the rewards link obtains from the demon just so happens to be the medium big and tycoon wallet along with multiple gold rupees reflecting how demons or oni can be seen as harbingers of wealth in japanese culture when playing the original legend of zelda you may have been surprised when a moblin an enemy that is usually hostile gives link rupees while telling him to keep it a secret from everyone else despite the fact link has just blown up the entrance to his cave considering how moblins are in fact referred to as demons in the original japanese text the reason why he gives link rupees instead of becoming aggressive begins to make more sense perhaps the most critical characteristic and most relevant to majora's mask is that japanese oni can represent disenfranchised persons individuals silenced or destined for elimination by mainstream society in other words those isolated or are outcasts from society can also be characterized as an oni the meaning of all of this can be fully understood when we realize that the people of termina are not just referring to the skull kid as a demon but are in fact labeling him as one further concealing the oni or other element as part of skull kid's identity the repeated displacement of his frustrations from having being neglected by his four friends by terrorizing the citizens of termina is likely what caused the people to label him as one as a consequence of his horrific actions views of him have become extreme people recognize him as being different from the majority he doesn't belong he terrifies people thus is isolated and is resented by most determinants because of the tricks he plays on them thus when something called an oni becomes to be identified as an oni that entity seems to emerge from this kind of process entities who are outcast or are not worshipped in the case of a deity become demons in japanese culture the happy mask salesman describes the evil that manjura wields as jackie in japanese which we know is a manipulative evil energy associated with demonic entities that leech on negativity it manifests from within a host tainting all emotions before consuming the individual from the inside consequently the negativity becomes the fuel that infuses its user with devastating catastrophic power the basis required for an oni to emerge is rooted in isolation and powerful negative emotions making the skull kid the ideal puppet for majora to manifest its evil energy in therefore when the skull kid dons the mask all of his frustrations traumas and wounds become nourishments to majora who influences the skull kid's harmless pranks into malicious acts of evil this thematic play on the concepts of oni and demon even extends to the final phase of the game with a considerable degree of additional complexity and possible interpretations after disposing of the skull kid majora's mask ascends to the moon link chases after them entering a peaceful dreamlike world that appears to exist within the moon's core the place inside the moon is a stark contrast to the dread that was felt moments ago it's bright and beautiful with a single tree dotted in the center five children who resemble the happy mask salesman can be found here each wearing a mask four of them are wearing the remains from the bosses at each of the four temples throughout terminal these four will play with link in exchange for his masks once link has collected and given all of the masks to the four children they will disappear and only the fifth child the one wearing majora's mask will remain speaking to him will cause him to comment on how everyone's gone away and he will ask link to play with him through body language and text we can already get the feeling that this child feels isolated similar to the skull kid he suggests playing good guys versus bad guys in english however in japanese he'll ask link to play something called onigoko the oni in onigoko is the same one that the skull kid is labeled as by the people of termina onigoko refers to a game that is similar to the children's game of tag in terms of rules although its literal translation is closer to demon play onigoko or demon play has several relevant variants and supposed origins in japanese folklore one of these is based on the tale of jizo bosatsu a being that appears in many different forms to alleviate the suffering of the living and dead he is viewed as a savior who protected children from the demons of hell keeping them safely behind him to aid their escape the traditional version of demon play that is played by children is a reflection of this tell participants assume one of three roles the oni who chases the children the parent who protects the children or the children who run away from the oni in onigako the one who is it in the game is called an oni the other children must escape from the oni within their set time limit and boundaries however should a child fail to escape and become captured as a consequence the game will incur a role reversal the captured child will become the new oni while the old one will become a child the fact that the child wearing majora's mask brings up onigoko is likely no coincidence especially since we can recognize the entire story of majora's mask as multiple iterations of demon play one of the most convincing connections is how the role link plays in majora's mask is similar to the parent he shares a resemblance to jizo bosatsu by protecting the citizens of termina who represent the children within an allotted time limit from the oni skull kid a majora the similarities and possible connections extend beyond this too where just as jizo appears in many forms to alleviate the suffering from the living and dead link plays the song of healing to achieve the same thing while also wielding the ability to transform through the power of the masks the most powerful mask link obtains is termed the fierce deity mask which he acquires from the same child who just moments before suggests a game of onigoko immediately after giving him the fierce deity mask the child declares that link will be the oni it's not that link has been labeled as simply a bad person as the english text may suggest but that it is now link's turn to be it in this devilish game of tag and chase out majora is perhaps what initial thoughts may lead to however there's something else that the child says in japanese that substantially enriches the climax of the story the child continues by describing how the role of the oni is to just run away even that will be okay given everything we've just discussed we know that in a game of onigoko the oni is the one doing the chasing so why should it now be the one running away we can find a potential answer to this riddle by looking at the second relevant variant of onigoko that has origins dating back to around 1 000 years in japanese folklore each year people would celebrate settlement to mark the coming of spring and to pray for a good harvest people would wear masks and carry out a ritual with the purpose of driving out demons and malicious spirits it was a ritual specifically dedicated to the eradication of those demons that possessed volumes of jackie which just so happens to be the same evil energy that's the happy mask salesman states existed within the majora's mosque as part of satsuban celebrations may include what's called a kagura dance which are performances based on the tales from the kojiki an ancient japanese collection of myths legends and semi-historical events that primarily tell stories of battles between deities and demons it's believed that onigoko evolved when children began imitating one of these tales where a deity that wields incredible devastating power uses it to eliminate any demon or existence that causes harm to people until the fierce deity appears the demon adopts an oppressive behavior towards the humans terrifying them and causing them misery then the deity who adopts a terrifying demonic looking form finally appears and the story ends with the demon yielding and the people being saved from this tale we can understand that the role of a fierce deity is to purge any demon that causes people to suffer therefore link obtaining the fierce deity mask represents his role as that liberator that's why when the child on the moon tells link that he is the oni and the role of the oni is to just run away the meaning is much more complex and is illustrated during the last two phases against majora in the battle against majora's incarnation link chases after it as it playfully runs away dancing and enjoying the game of onigoko its motions and even the music during this phase is extremely erratic emitting drastically different vibes to the darker and much more sinister ones felt moments ago much like a child would majora throws temper tantrums on the floor each time link connects uttering childish shrieks when they start losing the game the fight has truly transformed into a child's game of tag where link is it he is the only and must catch up to majora after defeating it at its own game majura manifests into its demonic final form which is dubbed in english as majora's wrath yet in japanese this form is referred to as mujura no majin means majora no is a possessive grammar particle and majin is a word that refers to an entity that wields specific magic powers or sorcery that transcends that of a regular person since the showa era in japanese history this word can also allude to an entity or demon that threatens disaster and death which means that this can be translated as majora's demon i mentioned earlier that once the child running away has been captured by the oni in a traditional game of onigoko the one running away becomes the next oni majora's final transformation into majora's majin is a physical representation of that change and thus donning the fierce deity mask link assumes the role of majora's liberator with ultimate demonic power at his disposal he is able to eliminate the source of people's suffering and cleanse all sources of jackie for the year to come it's likely that the statement of the oni just runs away is a reference to this as a subject of isolation the oni doesn't belong and secondly the oni will naturally want to escape the purification ritual in this sense i believe that majora's liberation and the carnival of time which is also specified to be an annual event to pray for a good harvest has many parallels to the demon purifying rituals and settlement celebrations for the new year carried out in japan i also believe that majora's mask labeling link as the oni in the final act of the game is somewhat reminiscent of ocarina of time let's remember that the skull kid and link share a similar past both have been alone and suffered from isolation an aspect associated with an oni the skull kid was abandoned by his four friends while link was outcast from the other koikidi for not having a fairy at the beginning of ocarina of time there's no doubt that zlink must understand how the skull kid had felt despite his subversive nature at the heart of it all the skull kid was simply lonely he sought friendship link began his adventure in majora's mask searching for his lost friend and although he may not have found exactly who he was looking for he may have just made a new friend along the way

Channel: QuestWithAaron

Views: 16,380

Keywords: Zelda, Majora, Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda, Japanese, Majora's Mask Version Differences, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Skull Kid, Termina, Hyrule's Connection to Termina, Hyrule, Link, Lost Woods, Ocarina, Majora's Wrath, Majora's Incarnation, Majora's Mask Theory, Japanese Translations, Moon, Happy Mask Salesman, Majora's Mask Secrets, Majora's Mask Switch, Ganon, Ganondorf, Fierce Diety, Onilink, Oni Link

Id: FG4gMwbsZtc

Length: 21min 40sec (1300 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 04 2022