Ey'wikatio
10-07-2010, 10:50 AM
Since I first saw Avatar, I've been wondering whether James Cameron was inspired in any way by the Roman invasion of Britain. My ancestors, the ancient Britons or “brittâni” in our language were very much like the Na'vi in a number of ways, particulary our nature-based spirituality (but then again, this can be said for most aboriginal peoples)
I'm probably just seeing things, the story of Avatar is the story of every people that has been invaded by a “more civilised” people. But I still think the similarities between the invasion of Pandor and the invasion of ancient Britain are interesting :
- “Brittani” means “the Painted People” (britu “painted, patterned”, -tani “people, denonym suffix”). They called themselve this because they would pain and stain their skin blue before going into battle, or possible for religious ceremonies.
- the Na'vi have blue skin
- the Brittani believe their ancestors to have become trees, or to live as part of the trees (or rocks) and part of the earth. The most sacred of these trees were the groves on the Isle of Mona. The Romans destroyed these trees, the spiritual heart of the Brittani world, in an attempt to both destroy the Druids priests who led the resistance from there, and to demoralise the Brittani by destroying the centre of their spirituality
- the Na'vi believe their ancestors have become part of the earth and trees. The RDA tries to break the Na'vi's moral by destroying the Tree of Souls and the Trees of Voices (I think thats what they were called?)
- the Romans invaded Britain because they wanted to mine the gold, tin and other natural resources of the island.
- the humans invade Pandora to mine unobtainium.
- it has been suggested that the Brittani worshipped one mother-earth goddess above all others. The word for “goddess” in ancient British is “dêṷâ” pronouned “dey-wa”
- the Na'vi worship a mother goddess called “Eywa”
This is all I've come up with so far, but I know there's more than I've forgotten.
I know this can probably be said of every indigenous culture (native amercians particulary) but I still think there could be something to this, what do you think?
I'm probably just seeing things, the story of Avatar is the story of every people that has been invaded by a “more civilised” people. But I still think the similarities between the invasion of Pandor and the invasion of ancient Britain are interesting :
- “Brittani” means “the Painted People” (britu “painted, patterned”, -tani “people, denonym suffix”). They called themselve this because they would pain and stain their skin blue before going into battle, or possible for religious ceremonies.
- the Na'vi have blue skin
- the Brittani believe their ancestors to have become trees, or to live as part of the trees (or rocks) and part of the earth. The most sacred of these trees were the groves on the Isle of Mona. The Romans destroyed these trees, the spiritual heart of the Brittani world, in an attempt to both destroy the Druids priests who led the resistance from there, and to demoralise the Brittani by destroying the centre of their spirituality
- the Na'vi believe their ancestors have become part of the earth and trees. The RDA tries to break the Na'vi's moral by destroying the Tree of Souls and the Trees of Voices (I think thats what they were called?)
- the Romans invaded Britain because they wanted to mine the gold, tin and other natural resources of the island.
- the humans invade Pandora to mine unobtainium.
- it has been suggested that the Brittani worshipped one mother-earth goddess above all others. The word for “goddess” in ancient British is “dêṷâ” pronouned “dey-wa”
- the Na'vi worship a mother goddess called “Eywa”
This is all I've come up with so far, but I know there's more than I've forgotten.
I know this can probably be said of every indigenous culture (native amercians particulary) but I still think there could be something to this, what do you think?