gaming Bible in Zelda 1 Famicom version

[Sofen 77]

In the original version they named it a "bible"... i am not sure why they couldn't just stick with it. I mean when i see an apple then thats what it is. Its problematic to how much wuss we are when calling things by their names. Japan have no problems with that so why is it only us that are so overly sensitive?. Just seems so unnecessary.

 

But i was wondering if they got the idea from "Hebrews 12:29". Since the wand shoots out fire, so one could say its a way to strike the wicked or something. I just wonder what you think

Edited March 22, 2016 by Sofen

[PiratePony 8,491]

It was Nintendo Of America's policy at the time to censor any and all religious references in games. A Link To The Past was caled Triforce Of The Gods, and that was changed. Agahnim was a priest in Japan. There was literally Satan in Ghouls n Ghosts but that was changed to demon or something. 

 

Somehow holy water got through in Castlevania, and crosses were on Link's shield, but as time went on, even crosses on hospital buildings were censored in Earthbound. 

[Sofen 77]

It was Nintendo Of America's policy at the time to censor any and all religious references in games. A Link To The Past was caled Triforce Of The Gods, and that was changed. Agahnim was a priest in Japan. There was literally Satan in Ghouls n Ghosts but that was changed to demon or something. 

 

Somehow holy water got through in Castlevania, and crosses were on Link's shield, but as time went on, even crosses on hospital buildings were censored in Earthbound. 

There is also a church in "Zelda: A Link to the Past", it was called Sanctuary in the English translation, and the priest of that church was renamed in the english translation to a loyal sage. But if you are a kid and have seen a church you won't really be fooled by it. But that is just me.

 

Ah yes. Castlevania 2 is some stuff i know about. But then again i think its due to traditions of vampire being on the account of "Vlad the Impaler" where the fictional version of Bram Stoker's novel on Dracula comes from. Seeing it as Christianity and vampire being some typical traditions assosiated with Dracula like fear of the cross or holy water.

[PiratePony 8,491]

There is also a church in "Zelda: A Link to the Past", it was called Sanctuary in the English translation, and the priest of that church was renamed in the english translation to a loyal sage. But if you are a kid and have seen a church you won't really be fooled by it. But that is just me.

 

Ah yes. Castlevania 2 is some stuff i know about. But then again i think its due to traditions of vampire being on the account of "Vlad the Impaler" where the fictional version of Bram Stoker's novel on Dracula comes from. Seeing it as Christianity and vampire being some typical traditions assosiated with Dracula like fear of the cross or holy water.

 

Yep, they just couldn't let that one go. So vampire stories were allowed. It was an odd policy, especially considering people as a whole were less opposed to religious imagery as some may be today. I think they didn't want to be seen an trying to influence a particular religion as a kid's toy company. 

[Sofen 77]

Yep, they just couldn't let that one go. So vampire stories were allowed. It was an odd policy, especially considering people as a whole were less opposed to religious imagery as some may be today. I think they didn't want to be seen an trying to influence a particular religion as a kid's toy company. 

Oh... No they actually did censor something. I didnt even know it was a thing, lol. Fire Bomb. Like who would fall for that? :diamondtiara: .

http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/Holy_Water

Alternate Name(s)

Fire Bomb

Sacred Water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2016 by Sofen

[PiratePony 8,491]

 

 lol you're right. I completely forgot it was "fire bomb."

 

 

Oh... No they actually did censor something. I didnt even know it was a thing, lol. Fire Bomb. Like who would fall for that? :diamondtiara: .

http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/Holy_Water

 

 

Alternate Name(s)

Fire Bomb

Sacred Water

 

 

 

 

[Sapphire Lightning 784]

I think it makes perfect sense that they did that. In Japan christianity is pretty rare and a very foreign concept. If they had included religious (especially christian) imagery in western releases they would have to be very careful. There is nothing in the christian religious books (bible just means book btw) about a man named Link or a princess named Zelda, so some of the more fundamentalist religious groups over here may have flipped their lids over it and could have been a PR nightmare for Nintendo. Look at what happened with that movie (forgot what it was called off the top of my head... grrr) that depicted a woman dancing in her underwear to an middle eastern chant. That movie is banned in multiple countries just because of that.

Heck, even as an atheist I would have thought it odd that people in Hyrule would be following a religion that was voted in to it's current form on Earth in the first century A.C.E

[Shanks 10,817]

Heck, even as an atheist I would have thought it odd that people in Hyrule would be following a religion that was voted in to it's current form on Earth in the first century A.C.E

Most of the Christian references in the Zelda series are in the first three games while most of the religious references in the other games in the series are pagan. The most obvious being the 3 creator goddesses in the Zelda universe, Din, Naryu and Farore and the revelation in Skyward Sword that Zelda is the human incarnation of their Hylia which is implied to be the highest god on their pantheon. Granted the gods aren't directly based on any gods in actual real life pantheons but I do notice similarities to Germanic and Celtic paganism.

[Sofen 77]

Most of the Christian references in the Zelda series are in the first three games while most of the religious references in the other games in the series are pagan. The most obvious being the 3 creator goddesses in the Zelda universe, Din, Naryu and Farore and the revelation in Skyward Sword that Zelda is the human incarnation of their Hylia which is implied to be the highest god on their pantheon. Granted the gods aren't directly based on any gods in actual real life pantheons but I do notice similarities to Germanic and Celtic paganism.

Umm... i will say it ended with Ocarina of Time. They may be more vague but i still will say they are in it like influences of medieval themes like Cathedral aka "Temple of Time" and when you walk in you hear Gregorian chant. But other than that i agree, it went more neutral after that.

[Shanks 10,817]

Umm... i will say it ended with Ocarina of Time. They may be more vague but i still will say they are in it like influences of medieval themes like Cathedral aka "Temple of Time" and when you walk in you hear Gregorian chant. But other than that i agree, it went more neutral after that.

They were first mention in A Link to the Past though it wasn't until Ocarina of Time that they were expanded upon so the seeds were planed in A Link to the Past though since it merely referenced and didn't push a Christian message that the Zelda series even with its references was neutral from the beginning. I don't really see the christian or pagan references as any different from one another.

[Sofen 77]

They were first mention in A Link to the Past though it wasn't until Ocarina of Time that they were expanded upon so the seeds were planed in A Link to the Past though since it merely referenced and didn't push a Christian message that the Zelda series even with its references was neutral from the beginning. I don't really see the christian or pagan references as any different from one another.

Its more suggested that the original intent may have been to have Christianity being the world's influence.

Just off my bet with this official artwork, but that they more or less scrapped it later on!

 

http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Christianity

Edited March 23, 2016 by Sofen

[Sapphire Lightning 784]

Most of the Christian references in the Zelda series are in the first three games while most of the religious references in the other games in the series are pagan. The most obvious being the 3 creator goddesses in the Zelda universe, Din, Naryu and Farore and the revelation in Skyward Sword that Zelda is the human incarnation of their Hylia which is implied to be the highest god on their pantheon. Granted the gods aren't directly based on any gods in actual real life pantheons but I do notice similarities to Germanic and Celtic paganism.

 

And I do love the mythos that they created in the later games. Makes much more sense than shoe-horning in an Earth religion when the games take place in another universe. Although I can see why they used western religion in the earlier games as they are based off of early western stories in some ways (With knights and European style kingdoms and whatnot) it is better that Hyrule have its own religious backstory.