Transcript of The Gods of Silent Hill (Part 1): Valtiel - Monsters of the Week
RagnarRox
0:03As Heather Mason awoke one afternoon from uneasy dreams0:09she found herself in a world filled with horrible monsters.0:13She was lying on a hard table inside of a diner and as she lifted her head a little,0:18she could feel the unnatural redness of the sunset,0:22that foreshadowed something...0:24something red was waiting for her on the journey she was about to take on.0:58This journey would shake the foundations of everything she believed in1:02and cost her everything she held dear in life.1:06But on this passage towards her destiny, someone, something shadowed her1:11following her everywhere she went;1:14a looming threat in the darkness that she couldn't always see1:17but whose constant presence she could feel as clearly as the air she was breathing.1:22Valtiel.1:26Who is that lurking demon,1:28that monster that is often described to be the main antagonist, the villain, of Silent Hill 3?1:34To answer this, we have to first realise that asking "Who is Valtiel?" is asking the wrong question.1:43"Better start asking the right fucking questions."1:47To get to the bottom of this we have to dig into the mythology, the religion that revolves around Silent Hill1:54and has been worshipped by various cultist groups like "The Order"1:58and that brings a very distinct constellation of deities and angels, prophesies and stories.2:27We can learn a few important cornerstones from this excerpt of the "Creation Myth", found in Silent Hill 3.2:34First of all, God is referred to as female and her intention is to create a paradise on Earth.2:41Also, although it mentions many gods and angels, aside from God herself,2:47two deities are mentioned specifically as her direct descendants in the divine hierarchy.2:52The Red God and the Yellow God.2:55In this episode we'll find out who those Gods are and what their roles and intentions are.3:01And what Valtiel's relationship towards that holy trinity is.3:05So let's begin at the top, with God herself.3:49According to these verses from the same Creation Myth text3:53God did not create mankind, but was born from humans.3:57The pre-mortal state of mankind is seen as eternal torture with no hope for salvation from suffering4:04and it was God who brought death to humanity.4:06But not as a punishment, but as a gift,4:09ending the agonising endless time.4:12Bringing God back into this world to create paradise is the ultimate goal of "The Order".4:19In both Silent Hill 1 and 3 their followers attempt to rebirth God by the person they consider to be the chosen Holy Mother.4:28In the first game this is Allessa, or Cheryl (remember, they are two incarnations of the same soul)4:35and in the third game it's Heather Mason, the child that is born at the end of the first game when the birthing ceremony fails.4:43So, God herself is not among humankind but is waiting to be brought into the mortal realms.4:49So what about the Red and the Yellow God? Where do they come into play?4:54Now, the most widely believed interpretation among fans is:4:58"Pyramid Head is the Red God and Valtiel is the Yellow God."5:02And although this should be just a theory, you will find it being heavily defended by many,5:08but sadly, it is... the wrong theory.5:11There's not much that ties Valtiel to the colour yellow in any way, or that underlines that he IS Lobsel Vith5:18and at the same time there's lots of evidence that points at entirely different explanations.5:24But most Importantly, Masahiro Ito, the guy who designed all the monsters in the Silent Hill games himself5:30has stated that Valtiel is, in fact, not the Yellow God.5:34So with that out of the way, let's take a look at the other one -5:38the Red God.5:40His name, Xuchilbara, is a compound of two words taken from the language of the Aztecs.5:46"Xuchil" is the word for flower5:49and the translation for "Bara" is spear.5:52The flower is in most cultures the symbol for life and fertility5:56and when we look at another Aztec goddess with that word in her name,6:00Xochiqueztal, she is the goddess of flowers, fertility and CHILDBIRTH.6:05So it is safe to assume that the Red God has a central role in the birth of God.6:11The spear on the other hand is a weapon, which represents hostility and death.6:16But a spear is also a phallic symbol as well as a representation for protrusion.6:21In military terms, a spearhead unit operate deep behind the frontline in enemy territory way ahead of the main force,6:29clearing out danger and paving the way for those who follow.6:32So in short, Xuchilbara stands for "the Spear that leads the Flower"6:38If the flower is the symbol for childbirth, this points clearly to Heather6:43as she is the one that is supposed to birth God, as we learn from Claudia Wolf and Vincent as well.6:49So, who leads Heather on her journey?6:51Who IS following her like a shadow the entire time?6:55That's right, Valtiel. And it's very apparent that despite his intimidating appearance he is never ever hostile towards her.7:03Quite the contrary. We can see him kill or attack monsters, paving the way for Heather7:08and he even revives her when she is killed on some occasions.7:12He is also constantly seen manipulating valves in the background7:16as we learn quite in the beginning of the game, when Heather turns the water valve of the bathtub she finds7:22- it directly causes a transition between the fog world and the Otherworld.7:27And yeah, each time SEE Valtiel mess around with valves and pipes,7:31it's immediately followed by a transition between the two worlds of Silent Hill.7:36This is interesting in several ways:7:39It underlines Valtiel's role as Heather's guide7:43and it also shows that he is directly in control over the state and the appearance of Silent Hill's worlds.7:50Take a look at this:8:06This is an excerpt from the text "The Crimson Ceremony", found in Silent Hill 2.8:12It confirms that the Crimson - or red one - the Red God, is the one that's in control of the mist,8:19the delusions of everything that happens in Silent Hill.8:23Just like Valtiel.8:25In addition to that, we can find an old photograph of the Sect of Valtiel, who are said to worship him in red ceremonial robes.8:34Add to that the statement of Masahiro Ito in the Making of Silent Hill 38:39that this unnaturally red sundown in the beginning of Silent Hill 3 is meant to foreshadow something RED that is waiting for Heather8:48- all of this points to the conclusion that Valtiel himself is, in fact, the Red God Chuchilbara8:56- or at least an incarnation of him.8:59But wait. Didn't we say those last two documents were found in Silent Hill 2?9:04Because when you think of the colour red in the context of that game9:08there is only one character that comes to mind instantly.9:11The big red pyramid thing, better known as Pyramid Head.9:16And when you think about it, a lot of these prophesies also apply very well to him.9:21He's always closely, and from the designer's standpoint, very obviously associated with the colour red9:27and he too actively influences the state of the two worlds.9:32Every time James encounters him a transition between the fog world and the Other World is imminent.9:38So what abut him? He is also a very strong candidate for being Xuchilbara.9:43According the the Book of Lost Memories:10:10They share a striking resemblance with each other.10:13Both are tall and muscular, both wear the same butcher's apron, both have the ability to revive persons -10:20Pyramid Head revives Maria and Valtiel revives heather when she dies.10:24Team Silent has officially confirmed that Valtiel was modelled directly after Pyramid Head.10:30They do behave in somewhat different ways, but that is explained by the fact that10:35the representations of Silent Hill always, in every single game, form out of the subconscious of the protagonists based on their needs and desires.10:45Every person experiences Silent Hill in a different way.10:57James desires punishment for the guilt he feels about killing his wife Mary.11:02Heather on the other hand, does not carry guilt. She does not require punishment.11:06She shares the soul with Alessa, a girl that has been abused and used for the religious goals of people who saw her as a mere vessel.11:15Heather represents motherhood.11:17What Valtiel does throughout the game, manipulating valves to direct the flow of pipes, can be seen as a symbol for someone11:24who orchestrates the process of childbirth by directing the unborn child through the right canals.11:31You might think this if far fetched, but the game is actually full of these symbolisms.11:36One monster, for example, that barricades a door Heather has to enter - the Glutton -11:41is somewhat reminiscent of a medical diagram of the female reproductive area.11:46And, especially later in the game, we find ourselves in bloody hallways,11:51the walls covered in living blood vessels accompanied by the sound of a pulse, a heartbeat.11:57As the constant descent of James is a symbol for his descent deeper into his personal hell,12:03this symbolically represents the process of childbirth, as Heather traverses a figurative birth canal.12:10So, could Pyramid Head and Valtiel both actually be a different incarnation or representation of Xuchilbara, the Red God?12:18A lot points to that fact.12:21But in those games, there is another entity that is closely related to the colour red.12:27It's not a monster, but a symbol. This one.12:31It is described with more than one name. It is called the Virun VII Crest in both games12:37and in Silent Hill 1 it is referred to as the Mark Of Samael by Dhalia Gillespie.12:43In Silent Hill 3 the book "Otherworld Laws" mentions it as the Seal of Metatron12:49Metatron is a well known angel in Rabbinic tradition, often called the Voice of God or the Agent of God.12:57The name Valtiel is a portmanteau from the French term "valet" which means servant or agent,13:04ending in the common Hebrew suffix "-el" which means God13:08Therefore his name translate directly into "Agent of God".13:13It is also noteworthy to mention that Valtiel has the Virun VII Crest tattooed on his shoulder,13:19surrounded by Enochian words that roughly translate into... Flower Spear.13:24Xuchilbara.13:26Samael is likewise a Judaic angel, one of death and punishment whose name means "Poison of God".13:34Remember that in the Creation Myth a man offered a snake to the sun.13:39The snake being an animal that is often poisonous.13:42Samael is similar in many ways to the Christian conception of the Devil13:46with the exception that he is a loyal servant to God who "tests the virtue of humanity and punishes them for their sins"13:54- and angel OF evil, rather than an evil angel.13:58This perfectly fits Pyramid Head's role in James' story.14:02I believe that at this point it is apparent that both characters are directly tied to Xuchilbara.14:09Whether they are both the Red God, different incarnations or representations based on the person they're involved with is up to interpretation.14:18So, for the sake of answering the question "who is Valtiel?" this is the answer:14:23Valtiel is Xuchilbara, the Red God. The Spear that leads the Flower.14:30But... that leaves the spot for the Yellow God completely vancant.14:34So, who IS the Yellow God?14:38The answer is much simpler than you think.14:41But, you know what? We're already way over time, so let's make this a two-parter.14:46I'll give you the answer to the question "Who is the Yellow God?" in the next episode.14:51Until then, please post your theories in the comments section!14:54If you've enjoyed this video and learned a thing or two then please give it a like and consider subscribing to my channel.15:00And if you want to support the show, then why not consider giving a dollar or two on Patreon?15:05So thanks for watching Monsters of the Week.15:08Until next time, remember:15:11The Truth is Out There!
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