Classical elements in popular culture
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Classical elements have been frequently used in pop culture in genres such as fantasy, literature,[1] film, humor,[2] television, computer and video games, comic books, toys and even music.[3][4] Typically a character or characters are linked to one or more of the four classical elements (fire, air, water and earth) common to most ancient philosophies (particularly the Greek, Hindu, Buddhist and Japanese traditions), either through special powers granted, ability to mimic the element, or other means. In some cases a fifth element is included, such as aether (also known as quintessence), void, or flora -- or, as was the case in the movie The Fifth Element, something else altogether.
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[edit] Receptions
The classical elements and their use in literary history have served as the subject of various published books. In The Elements: Earth Air Fire Water (How Artists See), Colleen Carroll examines "how the four elements have been depicted in works of art from different time periods and places."[5] In Legends of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, Eric Hadley and Tessa Hadley provide a "collection of myths and legends from different parts of the world about the four basic elements without which life would not be possible."[6] According to Publisher's Weekly, in Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Mary Hoffman and Jane Ray collect "snippets of factual information, myths, stories, poems and musings in this fascinating volume about the four classic elements."[7]
The reception of the classical elements by scholars and mainstream critics varies considerably, largely depending on the medium and/or use of the classical elements. For example, the classical elements have served as significant plot elements in the various Mortal Kombat fictional universes. Blaze, a fire elemental, appears in multiple Mortal Kombat games, including as the end boss in the most recent game. The film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation features Elder Gods based on the four elements, which are mentioned chastisingly in Christian reviews.[8]
[edit] Notable examples
[edit] Avatar:The Last Airbender
In the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, there are four mystical martial arts which allows the control of the elements through real-life martial arts tradition: Airbending, Earthbending, Firebending, and Waterbending. These are more based on the elemental structure of the Western and/or the Japanese elements, without a style based around Aether/Void. However, there is some overlap of elements as Ice, Lightning and Metal are all sub-aspect of the other four main elements.
Airbending is a martial arts based magic which controls the element of Air. It is primarily based around the real martial arts of Ba Gua. Airbending focuses on evading and avoiding attacks.
Earthbending is a martial arts based magic which controls the element of Earth. It is primarily based around the real martial arts of Hung Ga, however there are exceptions like Toph who uses the Southern Preying Mantis Kung Fu. However, it is likely different due to the fact Toph has learned her bending from the Badger-moles (Natural animal benders, and mentioned in the show as the first earthbenders). Unlike Airbending, Earthbending is based around withstanding attacks and holding one's ground. At least one character, Toph, can use Earthbending to control metal by focusing on its Earthen impurities.
Firebending is a martial arts based magic control of fire based on real martial arts, in this case primarily the Northern Shaolin Style. A specialized form of Firebending can be used to control lightning. This is done by dividing the yin from the yang of the electricity, like splitting positive and negative charges. The charge tries to merge together again, much like a lightning bolt moves from one charged object to another (Like a positively charged cloud to the negatively charged ground or vice-versa).
Waterbending is a martial arts based on primarily Tai Chi. Firebending opposes Waterbending, as the former prefers to attack first and hard until a weakness is found while the latter waits for the opponent to attack first and then redirects his strike. Whereas the other styles appear incapable of controlling the phase of their element, Waterbenders can alter the phase of water, controlling water in its solid (ice), liquid (water) and gaseous forms (mist, steam and water vapor), or even take water from the air, plants or animals. Some are even capable of controlling others under the light of a full moon, when Waterbenders are at their strongest.
[edit] Dungeons & Dragons
In the Dungeons & Dragons family of role-playing games, the idea of the Greek elements are used as the symbolic building blocks of reality. In all editions of the game there is the addition of a Positive (Creative/constructive) Energy Plane as well as a Negative (Destructive/Necromantic) Energy Plane. In the more complex cosmos of second edition there were other planes where the six major elemental planes overlapped. Paraelemental planes were those where the major elements overlap (With opposites like Fire-Water, Earth-Air didn't touch). Quasielemental planes were those were positive or negative energy touched with the element. These Quasi planes were based on the idea of the abundance of the element or the lack of it, depending on which energy they connected. An example is earth which become the plane of minerals as it approached the positive plane and dust as it approached the negative one.
[edit] Earth, Wind & Fire
The popular R&B musical group Earth, Wind & Fire is so named because founder Maurice White's sign was Sagittarius, whose primary elemental quality is Fire (hot & dry), but whose north and south seasonal qualities are Earth (cold & dry), and Air (hot & wet);[9] (hence, the omission of water).
[edit] Fantastic Four
In the comic book series Fantastic Four, each of the four characters have powers which relate to the Greek elements. The two most obvious links are the Human Torch (who fire control power is best expressed through the image of him as a burning man) and the Thing (who resembles a living being of rock and stone). Mister Fantastic, while not having water-based powers, does have a fluid form. The Invisible Woman's powers of invisibility and force fields evoke the unseen forces of wind and air. This is especially true in Neil Gaiman's Marvel 1602, where the Invisible Woman is both permanently invisible and weightless.[10][11]
It should also be mentioned the two obvious elemental personalities (the Human Torch and the Thing) tend to have personality traits people tend to associate with their own elements. Johnny the human Torch is impulsive, quick to anger with a brash personality, contrast this to Ben the Thing who is more sullen, dependable and strong.
[edit] Naruto
In the anime series Naruto, ninjas use the power of Chakra (mixing of mental energy and physical energy to creature a supernatural force) to perform jutsu (ninja techniques which allow the use of superpowers or martial arts). As depicted in the series, Chakra has elemental aspects, with the elements' comparative strengths resembling the creative/destructive cycle of the Chinese elements. The cycle goes from Wind to Lightning to Earth to Water to Fire before returning to Wind again, which each element stronger then the one after it.
In the world of Naruto, there are certain people who can mix elemental aspect into new elemental justu. The only expressions of this shown are ice and wood. The former mixes water and wind, while the latter mixes earth and water. This is similar to the building block idea of Dungeons and Dragons, which also links with ideas of primitive man that all things are made up of classical element.
Within the series, some countries are named after the elements (like the "Land of Fire" where Naruto lives). There are also five powerful ninja villages who exhibit dominance over the smaller villages, each of which is based on the five elements above. Each holds a leader ninja who is the only one to take the name of shadow (Kage).
[edit] Sailor Moon
Most of the Sailor Senshi characters in the Sailor Moon anime metaseries have elemental powers, some being inspirted by Chinese elements (the Wu Xing) and some by Roman mythology. These are derived from the Japanese names given to their planets; even in civilian form, each heroine has a surname which reflects her planet and her powers.
Four of the Sailor Senshi (Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus) have elemental powers based directly on their planets: Mercury for water, Mars for fire, Jupiter for plant life, and Venus for metal. They also take inspiration from Greek mythology, especially Jupiter (lightning) and Venus (love). The other set of four (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn) also have powers based on their planet names, but since the first three were not known from antiquity, their names derive from the Western names and therefore from Roman myth (resulting in "sky king," "sea king," and "dark king" respectively). Sailor Uranus uses the forces of air and wind, Sailor Neptune uses the forces of the ocean, and Sailor Pluto is the Guardian of Space-Time and the Underworld. Sailor Saturn's element is given as earth, which corresponds to mythological harvest symbolism and to her powers over destruction and death. The main character, Sailor Moon, along with the younger Sailor Chibi Moon, use elemental powers of light.
[edit] Ronin Warriors
In the anime series Ronin Warriors, all of the heroes and villains are representative of different concepts of virtue as well as the classical elements (in the case of the series' heroes) or seasons (in the case of the villains).
[edit] References
- ^ Juliet Heslewood, Jane Lydbury, Hugh Marshall, Tamara Capellaro, and Alison McNeill, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water (Oxford University Press, USA, 1989).
- ^ See the MacBook Earth, Water and Fire
- ^ Don Dupont and Brian Hiller, Earth, Water, Fire, Air: A Suite for Voices, Narrator and Orff Instruments (Memphis Musicraft Publications, 2005).
- ^ New Album: Francis M - Earth Wind Fire Water
- ^ Colleen Carroll, The Elements: Earth Air Fire Water (How Artists See) (Abbeville Press, 1999).
- ^ Eric Hadley and Tessa Hadley, Legends of Earth, Air, Fire and Water (Cambridge University Press, 1985).
- ^ Mary Hoffman and Jane Ray, Earth, Fire, Water, Air (Dutton Juvenile; 1st American ed edition, 1995).
- ^ Tyson Gibson, "Review of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation," Christian Spotlight on Entertainment.
- ^ Elemental Qualities in Astrology
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=Qey0TqB3hDgC&pg=PA96&dq=%22fantastic+four%22+elements+earth+fire+water+air&sig=kBq8il0603pG0isjxR2NZfmgmFA
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=g9BPAAAAMAAJ&q=%22fantastic+four%22+elements+earth+fire+water+air&dq=%22fantastic+four%22+elements+earth+fire+water+air&pgis=1
