Avatar: A Hero’s JourneyA quick look into the history

of Asian cultures

*Disclaimer: All images seen throughout the presentation was obtained from the internet. None of them are owned by the creator of this presentation.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony…

• These elements are Earth, Water, Fire, and Air

The Call to Adventure• An Avatar was born – master of all

the elements, destined to become the bridge of the spirits

• Little did Aang know of this destiny, which was given upon him after the death of the previous Avatar

The Call to Adventure

• Yin and Yang, according to Chinese philosophy, is the balance between the forces of good and evil

• Raava, the light spirit, and Vaatu, the dark spirit, constantly fought each other for control of the spirit world

The Call to Adventure

• Hindu’s Vishnu is believed to have several avatars, something prominent in Hindu mythologies

• The belief of reincarnation is greatly emphasized as Avatars are reincarnations of the first and the original being

Refusal of the Call

• After learning that he was to be separated from all the people he knew, to train to become the Avatar, Aang ran away and trapped himself inside an iceberg

Refusal of the Call

• Shiva, one of the three main deities of Hindus, was supposedly the deity for rebirth, but instead, became the deity for destruction

• The role upon which he decided on stuck to him, thus became the “Destroyer” or “Transformer”

Supernatural Aid

• A hundred years later, two siblings, Katara and Sokka, found the large iceberg and happened to release Aang from this

Supernatural Aid

• In many Eastern cultures, their mythologies consist of certain creatures that would guide the creation of the world, such as the beasts of China,

The Crossing of the First Threshold

• With their friendship quickly establish, the three set out to discover the changes after a hundred years of the Avatar’s absence

The Crossing of the First Threshold

• The number ‘3’ is a significant theme in most stories, and as such, follows in the concept of “Triple Deities,” a theme some mythologies follow

Greek - The Fates Hindu Taoism – Fu Lu Shou

Belly of the Whale

• Finally meeting his predecessor, Aang learns of a catastrophe that was about to happen when the Sozin’s comet passes, giving the Fire Nation (one of the elements) power to defeat the other three

Belly of the Whale

• In some cultures, comets hold deep significance as they are signs of the world ending

• In Middle Eastern culture, they are regarded as evil or an ill omen as some believe they brought about the Deluge that happened thousands of years ago

The Road of Trials• Aang sets off to parts of the world in search for element

masters who would train him in Water, Earth and Fire

The Road of Trials

• Buddha undergoes challenges in poverty, hunger, illnesses and death

• He left the riches he had as a prince and ventured through mountains, forests and jungles in search for enlightenment

The Meeting with the Goddess

• Entering the Northern Water Tribe, he meets waterbending master Pakku, and begins to learn under him

•Aang also meets the Ocean and Moon spirits (the fishes), embodied by Princess Yue.

The Meeting with the Goddess

Chinese Nuwa known for helping Fu Xi repair the walls of heaven, and the creation of mankind

Inuit Sedna, goddess of the sea, known for helping sea voyagers in deep oceans, and deity for Inuit hunters

Japanese Izanami is responsible for creating the islands of Japan and the birth of minor deities

Atonement with the Father

• In a battle against Princess Azula, daughter of the Fire Lord, Aang was struck by a fire-lightning attack that left him in a state of death

Atonement with the Father

• In Mulan, a legendary Chinese hero, she was discovered a female, and was “casted” off from the army before the war actually started

• This gave her the strength to continue what she has begun as she fought for her father, and for what she believed in

Apotheosis• While his physical

body is in a very bad condition, he goes into his Avatar state, in which his mind becomes linked with the spirit world

Apotheosis

Japanese Amaterasu is immortalized after death and passing on the heavenly treasures

Sumerian Gilgamesh went

on a quest for immortality, and

after death, becomes known

for his epic adventure

Ultimate Boon

• The time finally comes when the comet arrives, and he is faced with the Fire Lord for the battle that would either balance the scales or completely destroy the balance of nature.

Ultimate Boon

Japanese Susanoo slays the water dragon to redeem himself

Chinese Huang Ti defeats Chi You, a tribal leader of the Nine Li tribe, and became a cosmic ruler the initiator of Chinese civilization

Hindu Krishna in the Kurukshreta War mediated the opposing sides for peace

Rescue from Without

• Upon victory and his mastery of all four elements, he meets with the lion turtle that originally gave him his bending ability

Katara - Water

Toph - Earth

Zuko - Fire

The Crossing of the Return Threshold

• With their victory, his firebending teacher, Prince Zuko, the son of the Fire Lord, is now crowned the Fire Lord

• Aang, together with his team and Zuko, plans to rebuild the relationship of all four nations

Master of Two Worlds

• And so, Aang decides to begin a relationship with his friend Katara, and continues to protect the world from elemental forces, spirits, and conflicts

Freedom to Live

Rebirth• And so begins the story of the next Avatar, Korra.

END.

ELECLIT A53 – MYTHPOP

Craig Timothy Y. Gan11215836