SAKumono26
Banned
Orochimaru - The Serpent of Mythology
Orochimaru. He is the first truly major antagonist introduced into the series, and a moving force that has affected many lives throughout the Narutoverse. A master of deceit and trickery, Orochimaru works behind the curtains like a puppeteer. Everyone knows what drives Orochimaru, why it is that he does what he does. However one thing that might be easily overlooked by the general fanbase is the possibility of what exactly went into Orochimaru's character. In the same stride, what can be considered careful and methodical planning on Kishimoto Masashi's part can also be considered pure coincidence. After all, the serpentes has quite the infamous reputation in legend, so it would be no wonder why Orochimaru can fit certain myths so well.
There is irony, though, in that most of these myths are not very becoming of the snake. They are often depicted as creatures of evil and malice, when in fact a snake is more liable to be afraid of you than you are of it. Frightful and harried creatures, they are more likely to run than to attack. This is not the case demonstrated in many tales, however. Set before you, the reader, is a list of ten interesting links that Orochimaru has between himself and different mythological figures, spanning varying sources. Whether these are coincidence or done completely on purpose by the mangaka is up to debate. However, the similarities are striking nonetheless. Here is a brief outline of what is to follow:
I. Yamata no Orochi - The Eight-Headed Serpent (Japanese)
II. Yashagoro/Orochimaru - The Serpent Mage (Japanese)
III. Ouroboros - The Tail-Devourer (Greek)
IV. N??h?ggr - The Gnawer of Roots (Norse)
V. Gorgon - The Face of Terror (Greek)
VI. Nāga - The Cobra Deity (Buddhist/Hindu)
VII. The Lernaean Hydra - The Beast of the Lake (Greek)
VIII. J?rmuŋgandr - The World Serpent (Norse)
IX. The Devil - The Eternal Adversary (Christianity, various)
Three notes before you continue. This essay is quite lengthy and it has a great deal of pictures, including two animations at about one megabyte each. Just thought I should give you fair warning. Second, there are spoilers galore from the manga. I have not spoiler-tagged anything but most images, so if you continue, you are on your own as far as avoiding spoilers are concerned. Finally, I am no scholar. I am no expert. I'm not even perfect, as surprising as it may be. I make mistakes, and I make misinterpretations, and I don't doubt that it is entirely possible that throughout the course of this essay that this has occurred. So, if you are someone in a position of a wealth of knowledge and find a mistake in my writing, whether it be misinformation or a grammatical/spelling error, please let me know. Those who contribute in such a manner (in a decent-mannered way) will be rewarded with rep from me, and those who make major contributions of correct information on any of the mythological figures will be credited in this post.
Thank you, and enjoy. (Note: This is an extension, or rewrite in a way, of my previous Orochimaru essay. The old one will be deleted. Also, I do not give two damns about the political correctness of putting The Devil under a classification of "mythology". Get over it.)
Yamata no Orochi
Better known, perhaps, as simply Orochi, Yamata no Orochi is an eight-headed serpent from Japanese mythology. Before recent events, the relation between this creature and Orochimaru was a popular theory based around the possibility of Orochimaru being the Jinchuuriki to the eight-headed serpent Bijuu, according to the creature's description.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
The monster is described as having eight heads and eight tails and eyes as red as winter-cherries. It is so long its body extends over eight valleys and eight hills, its belly is always bloody and inflamed, and its back is covered with hikage (clubmoss), hinoki (Japanese cypress), and sugi (Japanese cedar).
Perhaps a very valid reason for fans having linked these two, besides the obvious, deals with the Yamata no Orochi's destruction at the ends of Susa-no-Ō. According to the the Kojiki or Furukotofumi, the oldest surviving book in Japan, the beast was killed when it was intoxicated by a trap of eight vats filled with sake. Once the serpent's defenses were lowered due to its state of impairment, Susa-no-Ō proceeded to cut Yamata no Orochi into pieces. However, upon cutting the middle tail, Susa-no-Ō's sword was chipped due to the presence of the legendary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, held protectively inside the snake's body, much like with Orochimaru, who kept a sword known as the Kusanagi within his body. Orochimaru would expel this sword by having a snake's head slither from within his mouth and the hilt of the sword would then protrude from the snake's mouth.
Orochimaru's Kusanagi:
Recently revealed in chapter 392, Orochimaru eventually emerges from Sasuke using the actual Yamata no Orochi. The eight-headed serpent breaks free, though seven of the eight heads are quickly struck down with Itachi's use of his Susa-no-Ō Mangekyou. Orochimaru himself comes from the final head and retrieves his Kusanagi blade in the normal fashion, only to be smote by Susa-no-Ō's own sword, the very same that defeated the other seven heads. This occurrence clearly parallels the story of the Yamata no Orochi above all, including the creature's demise.
Yashagoro/Orochimaru
(Picture Currently Unavailable)
Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari, or The Legend of the Gallant Jiraiya, told the tale of a man from a clan known as the Kyushu clan by the name of Jiraiya, a practitioner of "toad magic". This Jiraiya eventually fell in love with and married a beautiful woman and practitioner of "snail magic" by the name of Tsunade. However, as most stories go, there is a villain to this story.
This villain was a man named Yashagoro, a student and follower of Jiraiya. Yashagoro was seduced and manipulated by the power of a serpent, becoming a skilled user of "serpent magic". It was at this time that Yashagoro became known as "Orochimaru". The snake magician attacked Jiraiya and his wife, Tsunade in a heated battle, though it was Orochimaru who was victorious. Both Jiraiya and Tsunade were poisoned by his venom and succumbed to its toxins.
However another follower of Jiraiya appeared, one whom was once saved by the toad magician, to rescue Jiraiya and his wife. It is at this point that the tale comes to a sudden halt, leaving the ending open-ended and mysterious. Aside from the obvious naming reference of the character Orochimaru in Naruto, there is one very fine detail here that can be applied to both Orochimaru characters: Their fates are unknown. Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari ends abruptly before we can find out what happens to Orochimaru, and although Tsunade, Jiraiya and Akatsuki have all stated specifically that Orochimaru is dead, we know for fact that some part of Orochimaru continues to live on.
The Plague of Orochimaru:
Yakushi Kabuto, as a loyal follower, continues to carry on Orochimaru's will inside of him, but to what extent? Orochimaru's will, his very being, seems to be like a virus. A disease. Spreading through and tainting his body, slowly corrupting it to make it his own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yakushi Kabuto, Chapter 357, Page 03
That said, it's truly an amazing life force! I may have integrated it, but it's now trying to take over my body!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hyuuga Hinata, Chapter 357, Page 03
What's... that? It has already taken over nearly a third of his body...
Even though Orochimaru has been classified as "dead", an inanimate part of his body when put into a living creatue immediately tries to strive and take over. This is a clear sign that it is by no means the end of Orochimaru. Just like Yashagoro, the end of Orochimaru is ambiguous at best.
Ouroboros
Ouroboros (or one of its many other incarnations) comes from the Greek ουροβ?ρος, meaning "tail-devourer". It depicts a serpent devouring its own tail, as the name suggested, causing its body to form a complete circle (in most cases, at least). The image of the Ouroboros spread far and wide to have representations in Gnosticism and Hermeticism, and more. For example, it served as an image of eternity in Gnosticism. Norse mythology had its own interpretation of the Ouroboros, known as J?rmungandr (see J?rmungandr for more information).
One of its biggest references, however, is in that of alchemy. Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, made perhaps one of the most relevant points of the Ouroboros and its relationship with alchemy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl Jung
The alchemists, who in their own way knew more about the nature of the individuation process than we moderns do, expressed this paradox through the symbol of the uroboros, the snake that eats its own tail. ouroboros, has been said to have a meaning of infinity or wholeness. In the age-old image of the uroboros lies the thought of devouring oneself and turning oneself into a circulatory process, for it was clear to the more astute alchemists that the prima materia of the art was man himself. The uroboros is a dramatic symbol for the integration and assimilation of the opposite, i.e. of the shadow. This 'feed-back' process is at the same time a symbol of immortality, since it is said of the uroboros that he slays himself and brings himself to life, fertilises himself and gives birth to himself. He symbolises the One, who proceeds from the clash of opposites, and he therefore constitutes the secret of the prima materia which [...] unquestionably stems from man's unconscious.
I have taken the liberty of bolding the truly relevant points of Jung's comments. Anyone who knows anything about Orochimaru knows his goals. To learn every Jutsu is a simple one, one of omnipotence. However, the most obvious goal of Orochimaru's is that of immortality. The manga uses the reference of a white serpent as a sign of rebirth. The snake sheds its skin, its skin used as a symbol of a rebirth and it was to this point that Orochimaru took strongly. Experimenting on himself, trying to become an ever-rebirthing creature, one of immortality in a way... even in death, he would become life once more, just like the Ouroboros. A never-ending cycle.
Though one could also see the Ouroboros as a sign of self-destruction. In attempt to make oneself immortal and everlasting, they are truly slowly killing themselves. This assessment also fits Orochimaru quite well. In his attempts to become a Godly being, he has abandoned his old body, polluting and corrupting himself into a different form, one of that of a giant white snake with scales made of smaller snakes.
The White Serpent:
As Uchiha Sasuke states so obviously...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uchiha Sasuke, Chapter 344, Pages 08-09
You wanted to take over other peoples' bodies so badly, you experimented on your own... now you're a pathetic shell of your former self.
N??h?ggr
The tale of N??h?ggr, better known as Nidhogg, is not a very well-known one. Naturally, it would be unfair to assume that people have never heard the name as it is usually referenced in other fictional material. N??h?ggr is usually portrayed as a great serpent or dragon, and in Norse mythology, the N??h?ggr was indeed a great dragon. It would spend its time gnawing upon the roots of Yggdrasill, The World Tree. It was particular to one specific root, the one placed over the land of Niflheimr. However, there was another little-known fact about N??h?ggr.
The poem Gr?mnism?l, from which much of the information of N??h?ggr is taken, also tells tale of an eagle that remained perched upon the very top of the tree. Included in this tale is a squirrel by the name of Ratat?skr that would exchange messages between N??h?ggr and the eagle. As it is stated, "[t]he squirrel called Ratat?skr runs up and down the length of the Ash, bearing envious words between the eagle and N?dh?ggr". With Sasuke's frequent equation to a bird of prey, particularly a hawk, one can actually see quite well the relationship between N??h?ggr and the eagle as the same between Orochimaru and Sasuke.
It is no secret that Orochimaru is greatly envious of the Uchiha's Sharingan. It has been something he's strived after for a number of years. But in the same stride, Orochimaru has something that Sasuke envies... power. After all, Sasuke left behind all he knew to seek out the power of the Cursed Seal that Orochimaru had, the power he knew how to control, that Sasuke had no hope to control without the aid of Orochimaru. Unlike the tale between N??h?ggr and the eagle, the tale of Orochimaru and Sasuke is composed of compromise and betrayal but the initial aspects of it are startingly accurate.
Another rather amusing aspect between N??h?ggr and Orochimaru comes in its reputation, in a way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eysteinn Bj?rnsson
?ar k?mr inn dimmi
dreki flj?gandi,
na?r fr?nn, ne?an
fr? Ni?afj?llum.
Berr s?r ? fj??rum
- fl?gr v?ll yfir -
N??h?ggr n?i -
n? mun hon s?kkvask.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry Adams Bellows
From below the dragon
dark comes forth,
Nithhogg flying
from Nithafjoll;
The bodies of men
on his wings he bears,
The serpent bright:
but now must I sink.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Dronke
There comes the shadowy
dragon flying,
glittering serpent, up
from Dark of the Moon Hills.
He carries in his pinions
?he flies over the field?
Malice Striker, corpses.
Now will she sink.
Seemingly associated with the deaths of many, this is a fact that bears upon Orochimaru. As it stands, as far as we've seen, he is actually the character who has caused the most deaths. His record of causing the death of fifty-nine infants alone beats out any other character that we know of, especially if his other experiments were even half as horrific. And that is not even taking into account his history as a ninja on missions. He could very well make an assassin like Momochi Zabuza look like a saint, and he was even evil enough to strike fear in Morino Ibiki.
Morino Ibiki's Fear:
The N??h?ggr was sometimes acknowledged as the herald of Ragnar?k, which was ultimately the destruction of many of the Gods and mortals in Norse mythology. Much like the N??h?ggr, Orochimaru's appearance comes as an ill or unsettling feeling. An ill-omen, if you will.
Tsunade's Bad Feeling:
Gorgon
The Gorgon is a most infamous creature from Greek mythology, possibly best known as the specific Gorgon named Medusa. The term Gorgon is taken from the Greek Γοργών which translates literally to gorgos, meaning "terrible" or "loud-roaring". Although the Gorgon is depicted as being a strictly female creature, everyone knows that Orochimaru has no qualms with bearing a body of the female gender.
The Gorgon has made its stake in popular culture, spreading to vast amounts of literature and media and they all have one thing in common. That is the portrayal of the Gorgon's infamous stare. Although the details can vary, the end result is ultimately the end of one's life, whether it be an immediate death or petrification into a statue. This is very much like an ability that Orochimaru once used upon a helpless Sasuke and Sakura in the Forest of Death, while in the guise of a kunoichi from Kusagakure (a female ninja... ironic).
Orochimaru's Deadly Gaze (Animated):
I am sure that this was rather predictable. So predictable, in fact, that normally I would not have bothered to add this (in fact it was this reason I did not add this in my initial essay). However, upon some research I found another interesting link. Greek mythology states that blood taken from the left side of the Gorgon acted as a fatal poison that could kill instantly. However, it also states that the blood from the right side of a Gorgon was such a potent healing elixir, that it was capable of bringing the dead back to life. Enter Orochimaru's infamous Jutsu, Edo Tensei, which uses a sacrifice to resurrect the dead.
Edo Tensei:
Orochimaru. He is the first truly major antagonist introduced into the series, and a moving force that has affected many lives throughout the Narutoverse. A master of deceit and trickery, Orochimaru works behind the curtains like a puppeteer. Everyone knows what drives Orochimaru, why it is that he does what he does. However one thing that might be easily overlooked by the general fanbase is the possibility of what exactly went into Orochimaru's character. In the same stride, what can be considered careful and methodical planning on Kishimoto Masashi's part can also be considered pure coincidence. After all, the serpentes has quite the infamous reputation in legend, so it would be no wonder why Orochimaru can fit certain myths so well.
There is irony, though, in that most of these myths are not very becoming of the snake. They are often depicted as creatures of evil and malice, when in fact a snake is more liable to be afraid of you than you are of it. Frightful and harried creatures, they are more likely to run than to attack. This is not the case demonstrated in many tales, however. Set before you, the reader, is a list of ten interesting links that Orochimaru has between himself and different mythological figures, spanning varying sources. Whether these are coincidence or done completely on purpose by the mangaka is up to debate. However, the similarities are striking nonetheless. Here is a brief outline of what is to follow:
I. Yamata no Orochi - The Eight-Headed Serpent (Japanese)
II. Yashagoro/Orochimaru - The Serpent Mage (Japanese)
III. Ouroboros - The Tail-Devourer (Greek)
IV. N??h?ggr - The Gnawer of Roots (Norse)
V. Gorgon - The Face of Terror (Greek)
VI. Nāga - The Cobra Deity (Buddhist/Hindu)
VII. The Lernaean Hydra - The Beast of the Lake (Greek)
VIII. J?rmuŋgandr - The World Serpent (Norse)
IX. The Devil - The Eternal Adversary (Christianity, various)
Three notes before you continue. This essay is quite lengthy and it has a great deal of pictures, including two animations at about one megabyte each. Just thought I should give you fair warning. Second, there are spoilers galore from the manga. I have not spoiler-tagged anything but most images, so if you continue, you are on your own as far as avoiding spoilers are concerned. Finally, I am no scholar. I am no expert. I'm not even perfect, as surprising as it may be. I make mistakes, and I make misinterpretations, and I don't doubt that it is entirely possible that throughout the course of this essay that this has occurred. So, if you are someone in a position of a wealth of knowledge and find a mistake in my writing, whether it be misinformation or a grammatical/spelling error, please let me know. Those who contribute in such a manner (in a decent-mannered way) will be rewarded with rep from me, and those who make major contributions of correct information on any of the mythological figures will be credited in this post.
Thank you, and enjoy. (Note: This is an extension, or rewrite in a way, of my previous Orochimaru essay. The old one will be deleted. Also, I do not give two damns about the political correctness of putting The Devil under a classification of "mythology". Get over it.)
Yamata no Orochi
Better known, perhaps, as simply Orochi, Yamata no Orochi is an eight-headed serpent from Japanese mythology. Before recent events, the relation between this creature and Orochimaru was a popular theory based around the possibility of Orochimaru being the Jinchuuriki to the eight-headed serpent Bijuu, according to the creature's description.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
The monster is described as having eight heads and eight tails and eyes as red as winter-cherries. It is so long its body extends over eight valleys and eight hills, its belly is always bloody and inflamed, and its back is covered with hikage (clubmoss), hinoki (Japanese cypress), and sugi (Japanese cedar).
Perhaps a very valid reason for fans having linked these two, besides the obvious, deals with the Yamata no Orochi's destruction at the ends of Susa-no-Ō. According to the the Kojiki or Furukotofumi, the oldest surviving book in Japan, the beast was killed when it was intoxicated by a trap of eight vats filled with sake. Once the serpent's defenses were lowered due to its state of impairment, Susa-no-Ō proceeded to cut Yamata no Orochi into pieces. However, upon cutting the middle tail, Susa-no-Ō's sword was chipped due to the presence of the legendary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, held protectively inside the snake's body, much like with Orochimaru, who kept a sword known as the Kusanagi within his body. Orochimaru would expel this sword by having a snake's head slither from within his mouth and the hilt of the sword would then protrude from the snake's mouth.
Orochimaru's Kusanagi:
Recently revealed in chapter 392, Orochimaru eventually emerges from Sasuke using the actual Yamata no Orochi. The eight-headed serpent breaks free, though seven of the eight heads are quickly struck down with Itachi's use of his Susa-no-Ō Mangekyou. Orochimaru himself comes from the final head and retrieves his Kusanagi blade in the normal fashion, only to be smote by Susa-no-Ō's own sword, the very same that defeated the other seven heads. This occurrence clearly parallels the story of the Yamata no Orochi above all, including the creature's demise.
Yashagoro/Orochimaru
(Picture Currently Unavailable)
Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari, or The Legend of the Gallant Jiraiya, told the tale of a man from a clan known as the Kyushu clan by the name of Jiraiya, a practitioner of "toad magic". This Jiraiya eventually fell in love with and married a beautiful woman and practitioner of "snail magic" by the name of Tsunade. However, as most stories go, there is a villain to this story.
This villain was a man named Yashagoro, a student and follower of Jiraiya. Yashagoro was seduced and manipulated by the power of a serpent, becoming a skilled user of "serpent magic". It was at this time that Yashagoro became known as "Orochimaru". The snake magician attacked Jiraiya and his wife, Tsunade in a heated battle, though it was Orochimaru who was victorious. Both Jiraiya and Tsunade were poisoned by his venom and succumbed to its toxins.
However another follower of Jiraiya appeared, one whom was once saved by the toad magician, to rescue Jiraiya and his wife. It is at this point that the tale comes to a sudden halt, leaving the ending open-ended and mysterious. Aside from the obvious naming reference of the character Orochimaru in Naruto, there is one very fine detail here that can be applied to both Orochimaru characters: Their fates are unknown. Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari ends abruptly before we can find out what happens to Orochimaru, and although Tsunade, Jiraiya and Akatsuki have all stated specifically that Orochimaru is dead, we know for fact that some part of Orochimaru continues to live on.
The Plague of Orochimaru:
Yakushi Kabuto, as a loyal follower, continues to carry on Orochimaru's will inside of him, but to what extent? Orochimaru's will, his very being, seems to be like a virus. A disease. Spreading through and tainting his body, slowly corrupting it to make it his own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yakushi Kabuto, Chapter 357, Page 03
That said, it's truly an amazing life force! I may have integrated it, but it's now trying to take over my body!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hyuuga Hinata, Chapter 357, Page 03
What's... that? It has already taken over nearly a third of his body...
Even though Orochimaru has been classified as "dead", an inanimate part of his body when put into a living creatue immediately tries to strive and take over. This is a clear sign that it is by no means the end of Orochimaru. Just like Yashagoro, the end of Orochimaru is ambiguous at best.
Ouroboros
Ouroboros (or one of its many other incarnations) comes from the Greek ουροβ?ρος, meaning "tail-devourer". It depicts a serpent devouring its own tail, as the name suggested, causing its body to form a complete circle (in most cases, at least). The image of the Ouroboros spread far and wide to have representations in Gnosticism and Hermeticism, and more. For example, it served as an image of eternity in Gnosticism. Norse mythology had its own interpretation of the Ouroboros, known as J?rmungandr (see J?rmungandr for more information).
One of its biggest references, however, is in that of alchemy. Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, made perhaps one of the most relevant points of the Ouroboros and its relationship with alchemy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl Jung
The alchemists, who in their own way knew more about the nature of the individuation process than we moderns do, expressed this paradox through the symbol of the uroboros, the snake that eats its own tail. ouroboros, has been said to have a meaning of infinity or wholeness. In the age-old image of the uroboros lies the thought of devouring oneself and turning oneself into a circulatory process, for it was clear to the more astute alchemists that the prima materia of the art was man himself. The uroboros is a dramatic symbol for the integration and assimilation of the opposite, i.e. of the shadow. This 'feed-back' process is at the same time a symbol of immortality, since it is said of the uroboros that he slays himself and brings himself to life, fertilises himself and gives birth to himself. He symbolises the One, who proceeds from the clash of opposites, and he therefore constitutes the secret of the prima materia which [...] unquestionably stems from man's unconscious.
I have taken the liberty of bolding the truly relevant points of Jung's comments. Anyone who knows anything about Orochimaru knows his goals. To learn every Jutsu is a simple one, one of omnipotence. However, the most obvious goal of Orochimaru's is that of immortality. The manga uses the reference of a white serpent as a sign of rebirth. The snake sheds its skin, its skin used as a symbol of a rebirth and it was to this point that Orochimaru took strongly. Experimenting on himself, trying to become an ever-rebirthing creature, one of immortality in a way... even in death, he would become life once more, just like the Ouroboros. A never-ending cycle.
Though one could also see the Ouroboros as a sign of self-destruction. In attempt to make oneself immortal and everlasting, they are truly slowly killing themselves. This assessment also fits Orochimaru quite well. In his attempts to become a Godly being, he has abandoned his old body, polluting and corrupting himself into a different form, one of that of a giant white snake with scales made of smaller snakes.
The White Serpent:
As Uchiha Sasuke states so obviously...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uchiha Sasuke, Chapter 344, Pages 08-09
You wanted to take over other peoples' bodies so badly, you experimented on your own... now you're a pathetic shell of your former self.
N??h?ggr
The tale of N??h?ggr, better known as Nidhogg, is not a very well-known one. Naturally, it would be unfair to assume that people have never heard the name as it is usually referenced in other fictional material. N??h?ggr is usually portrayed as a great serpent or dragon, and in Norse mythology, the N??h?ggr was indeed a great dragon. It would spend its time gnawing upon the roots of Yggdrasill, The World Tree. It was particular to one specific root, the one placed over the land of Niflheimr. However, there was another little-known fact about N??h?ggr.
The poem Gr?mnism?l, from which much of the information of N??h?ggr is taken, also tells tale of an eagle that remained perched upon the very top of the tree. Included in this tale is a squirrel by the name of Ratat?skr that would exchange messages between N??h?ggr and the eagle. As it is stated, "[t]he squirrel called Ratat?skr runs up and down the length of the Ash, bearing envious words between the eagle and N?dh?ggr". With Sasuke's frequent equation to a bird of prey, particularly a hawk, one can actually see quite well the relationship between N??h?ggr and the eagle as the same between Orochimaru and Sasuke.
It is no secret that Orochimaru is greatly envious of the Uchiha's Sharingan. It has been something he's strived after for a number of years. But in the same stride, Orochimaru has something that Sasuke envies... power. After all, Sasuke left behind all he knew to seek out the power of the Cursed Seal that Orochimaru had, the power he knew how to control, that Sasuke had no hope to control without the aid of Orochimaru. Unlike the tale between N??h?ggr and the eagle, the tale of Orochimaru and Sasuke is composed of compromise and betrayal but the initial aspects of it are startingly accurate.
Another rather amusing aspect between N??h?ggr and Orochimaru comes in its reputation, in a way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eysteinn Bj?rnsson
?ar k?mr inn dimmi
dreki flj?gandi,
na?r fr?nn, ne?an
fr? Ni?afj?llum.
Berr s?r ? fj??rum
- fl?gr v?ll yfir -
N??h?ggr n?i -
n? mun hon s?kkvask.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry Adams Bellows
From below the dragon
dark comes forth,
Nithhogg flying
from Nithafjoll;
The bodies of men
on his wings he bears,
The serpent bright:
but now must I sink.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Dronke
There comes the shadowy
dragon flying,
glittering serpent, up
from Dark of the Moon Hills.
He carries in his pinions
?he flies over the field?
Malice Striker, corpses.
Now will she sink.
Seemingly associated with the deaths of many, this is a fact that bears upon Orochimaru. As it stands, as far as we've seen, he is actually the character who has caused the most deaths. His record of causing the death of fifty-nine infants alone beats out any other character that we know of, especially if his other experiments were even half as horrific. And that is not even taking into account his history as a ninja on missions. He could very well make an assassin like Momochi Zabuza look like a saint, and he was even evil enough to strike fear in Morino Ibiki.
Morino Ibiki's Fear:
The N??h?ggr was sometimes acknowledged as the herald of Ragnar?k, which was ultimately the destruction of many of the Gods and mortals in Norse mythology. Much like the N??h?ggr, Orochimaru's appearance comes as an ill or unsettling feeling. An ill-omen, if you will.
Tsunade's Bad Feeling:
Gorgon
The Gorgon is a most infamous creature from Greek mythology, possibly best known as the specific Gorgon named Medusa. The term Gorgon is taken from the Greek Γοργών which translates literally to gorgos, meaning "terrible" or "loud-roaring". Although the Gorgon is depicted as being a strictly female creature, everyone knows that Orochimaru has no qualms with bearing a body of the female gender.
The Gorgon has made its stake in popular culture, spreading to vast amounts of literature and media and they all have one thing in common. That is the portrayal of the Gorgon's infamous stare. Although the details can vary, the end result is ultimately the end of one's life, whether it be an immediate death or petrification into a statue. This is very much like an ability that Orochimaru once used upon a helpless Sasuke and Sakura in the Forest of Death, while in the guise of a kunoichi from Kusagakure (a female ninja... ironic).
Orochimaru's Deadly Gaze (Animated):
I am sure that this was rather predictable. So predictable, in fact, that normally I would not have bothered to add this (in fact it was this reason I did not add this in my initial essay). However, upon some research I found another interesting link. Greek mythology states that blood taken from the left side of the Gorgon acted as a fatal poison that could kill instantly. However, it also states that the blood from the right side of a Gorgon was such a potent healing elixir, that it was capable of bringing the dead back to life. Enter Orochimaru's infamous Jutsu, Edo Tensei, which uses a sacrifice to resurrect the dead.
Edo Tensei:
Last edited:
