Ruminations on the Deep: The Symbolism of Dark Souls Part 1
Jun. 3, 2016Ruminations on the Deep: The Symbolism of Dark Souls Part 1
“…My liberation requires a keyBut the key is outside… Hmm… A riddle for the ages”
Siegward of Catarina, trapped in a cell.
“I want to leave the interpretation of the world’s stories to the player.That’s actually my biggest reason for focusing on environmental and subtle storytelling”
Miyazaki
The grandiose and cryptic nature of Dark Souls has made the series more akin to modern mythology than mere videogames. As the gods are dead, the lords imprisoned, and even the covenant leaders lifeless or locked away, Dark Souls 3 is the bleakest in the series yet. Storytelling in the game is even more subtle than previous installments, but while the facts and relationships between characters can be useful for establishing significance, they can also be distractions from the larger messages beneath. Just as the chosen undead begins in a prison cell in Dark Souls 1, it is no coincidence that over half of theNPCsare imprisoned inDark Souls 3, vanishing in a puff of smoke to appear in yourFirelink Shrineonce givenpurpose.There are pages of arguments onhowthese NPCs teleport out of their cells, yet few have askedwhy.
As the linking of the fire is institutionalized in Dark Souls 3, perhaps it is only fitting that the popularization of the series has given rise to an extreme fascination with achievement and a strict attachment to the literal, the irony being that the entire message of Dark Souls is that such pursuits prove illusory. In Dark Souls 1,Solairesought his own sun only to find emptiness after reaching it. In its place he finds a “sunlight maggot,” represented as a mask which blinds its host with light, not unlike the Firekeeper’s mask in Dark Souls 3. Similarly,Siegwarddies after achieving his purpose, and many other NPCs suffer the same fate when unbound from their shackles.This 2 part article will examine the overall symbolism in all three games, focusing onAldrichand the deep, theFirekeeper, hollowing, the sun and moon,Anri, and the Usurpation of Fire. Part 1 will look at the events ofDark SoulsandDark Souls 2, and Part 2 will examine the meanings presented inDark Souls 3.
“I will not rush you. You will return, once you are enlightened.We are, after all, both Undead. And both prisoners in our own ways.”
“Cornyx was tired and defeated until he discovered one final pupil, like so many pyromancers before him.”
Corynx of the Greatswamp and his ashes, Dark Souls 3
We have two choices, to continue the pursuit of our desires or to abandon them, yet never quite have access to these choices until reaching their source, the first flame, an external objective always outside our reach. For Solaire, it was his sun, forVendrick, Nashandra’s love, and for Siegward, a promise and a key outside his cell, but all of us undead seek the first flame just as “ash seeketh ember.” We learned from Miyazaki that in Dark Souls 1, Solaire goes on to link the fire in his own world, reinforcing the idea that fire itself is but a symbol relevant to the individual, signifying one’s external desire or objective.The purpose of the undead or humanity in Dark Souls is well described by a quote by Carl Jung.
“As far we can discern, the sole purpose of human existenceis to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.“
from “Memories, Dreams, Reflections”, 1962
“You ought to focus on yourself. May we each fulfill our respective purposes!”
Unused content for Oscar, Knight of Astora, Dark Souls 1
We go to any length to fulfill this purpose,even losing our humanity and stealing it from others in the process, squandering their time and efforts while we climb upon them toward our goal. When we reach our ultimate goal, we “stand before its decrepit gate without really knowing why…” forgetting why we even arrived. In Dark Souls, we choose either to banish all illusions in an age of dark, an age of humanity, or rekindle the fire to offer our values and control back into the hands of the gods. Fear of what lies in the abyss tempts some to rekindle the fire, while others charge into the dark in search of truth.
In Dark Souls 2, we find that both choices are flawed, as they both lead to the eventual linking of the fire, revealing to us that the entire practice is a lie. The darkness we once knew has disappeared, and the illusion of fire is destined to be rekindled for eternity. We are told that we must combine dark with fire, man with woman, but this dream is washed away as the cycle repeats for ages until reaching a state of ritualized perfection. In Dark souls 3, the linking of the fire becomes institutionalized inside a system made to contain the control of humanity. It is forced upon the powerful regardless of virtue, and so we become aware of this system which enslaves us. As even the powerful have lost the will to link the fire, the abyss bursts at the seams of the universe while a new threat rises from the deep.
“…Regrettably, I have failed in my mission……But perhaps you can keep the torch lit…”
Oscar, Knight of Astora, Dark Souls 1
While neither ending is correct in Dark Souls 1, the age of dark is emphasized as something suppressed and ignored while the linking of the fire is associated with illusion and control. Dark Souls 2 strips these choices away and elaborates on the symbolism of the first flame, altering the nature of the universe by removing a true age of dark. The world of Dark Souls 3 is one in which the pursuit of fire has become extreme and enforced. The dark issosuppressed in Dark Souls 3, that it must be contained by the giant shells which the pilgrims wear. Called the “pus of man,” this abyss or Manus-like creature bursts out of Gundyr and many other enemies in the game. It is important to note that this does not happen toGundyrin theUntended Graves, testament to the idea that the abyss is merely an extreme retaliation born from the suppression of man’s true nature and would not exist in a true age of dark. The basic concept that one must embrace the dark from Dark Souls 1 continues in Dark Souls 3, while also introducing a new solution to the cycle established in Dark Souls 2.
“The absurd man, when he contemplates his torment, silences all the idols. In the universe suddenly restored to its silence, the myriad wondering little voices of the earth rise up. Unconscious, secret calls, invitations from all the faces, they are the necessary reverse and price of victory. There is no sun without shadow, and it is essential to know the night.”
Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus (1842)
Regardless of the validity of either ending inDark Souls 1, the game paints a picture of the state of society and man without the need for a literal escape from them. From looking at theCaduceusshield present in all three games, it could be theorized that the primordial serpentsFramptandKaatheare actually the same serpent with heads on both sides. The same concept can be seen in thereversal ringin Dark Souls 3, in which two pointed ends symbolizing male and female exist as opposites of the same ring. While seemingly useless, this ring is a key item in connecting the philosophy of Dark Souls 1 and 3.
In the beginning there were two primal spirits,Twins spontaneously active,These are the Good and the Evil, in thought, and in word, and in deed.
Zoroaster
Dark Souls 1 could be described as a Kafkaesque creation myth for the state of society and man. The main character is born into shackles, suffers repeated death without reason, and upon finally confronting divine authority finds his quest to be illusory and without comprehensible alternative. The series is a profound philosophical achievement of existential themes, but unlike a pure absurdist work, Dark Souls makes subtle comments on desires and the glorification of illusion as external sources of value. Each character seeks something outside of themselves, and are drawn toward it like moths to a flame. The fire is shown to be something dangerous when followed blindly andoutsideof oneself.
“We are born into Dark, and warmed by Fire, but this Fire we cannot touch. Those whose fascination with Fire persists, learn to hold it in their own hand.”
Laurentius of the Greatswamp, Dark Souls 1
We are shown that fear causes us to link the flame, preventing us from exploring the depths of humanity. It would then seem that the correct ending is to usher in an age of dark, ending all illusions and acknowledging the depths of mankind, an act of banishing greed and embracing contemplation. However, it is equally correct to link the fire, for perhaps the darkness of mankind is too dangerous if fully unleashed. The answer to this question is subjective, being a discussion of control vs freedom, corporation vs the individual, or illusion vs reality, ultimately being an allegory for the nature of humanity and society in which the fear of introspection collectively produces illusion and the repeated suffering required to maintain it.
Manusand the abyss were added later in theDLC, a man turned monster unleashed by the actions of Kaathe. It should be understood that not only does the chosen undead defeat Manus, but that Kaathe did this at the dawn of the age of fire as an attack on the fragments ofGwyn’s soul, converting hisFour Kingsto serve the dark. The four kings are likely to be failed Dark Lords who you defeat along with Manus before ascending to throne. The basic fact that no Dark Souls takes place in an age of dark makes one suspect that it is not meant to exist literally but rather as an aspect of humanity or focal point of the series.
The beauty of Dark Souls 1 is that by giving us only two choices, one leading to the suffering found in illusion, and the other leading to the potential suffering in madness, a meta choice is born which only exists within the player’s mind beyond the fourth wall; do you partake in society knowing that it is illusory, tending to the darkness in your heart? Or do you forego all superficial pursuits in understanding what may lie in the abyss? Dark Souls 1 is a picture of the individual and society, and not something to be solved by a literal ending in the game. For the options foundwithinthe game, the age of dark ending would appear superior, if only because the universe has not yet fully experienced it. Kaathe explains that the furtive pygmy did begin an age of dark as the fire faded long ago, butGwynput an end to it by sacrificing himself and placing humanity under watch of his children so that a Dark Lord could never be born.
“Now that I am Undead, I have come to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn, to seek my very own sun!“
Solaire, Dark Souls 1
While the philosophy of Dark Souls 1 remains one for eternal contemplation, Dark Souls 2 changed the formula radically, telling us that even abandoning the fire would result in an eventual linking of the fire, part of an endless cycle in which kingdoms rise and fall. This removed the true age of dark and with it its symbolic value within the universe. We learn that our state is that of being cursed, and that “the curse of life is the curse of want.” At the end of the game, we sit in our throne literally called “the throne of want,” but are given a choice to walk away from it in the DLC. There is no option for an “age of dark,” and the consequences of abandoning the throne are unclear. Vendrick calls us “seeker of fire, conqueror of dark”and we learn from him that we must combine the two. Aldia specifically tells us that the current form of mankind is a lie, and that “there is no path. Beyond the scope of light, beyond the reach of Dark…And yet, we seek it, insatiably…” While it may be argued that the cycle existed in Dark Souls 1, if there is a problem with Dark Souls 2, it is that the “third” ending or solution to the cycle is represented physically in the game.
“Some deny the existence of misery by pointing to the sun; he denies the existence of the sun by pointing to misery.”
Franz Kafka
While different in nature than Dark Souls 1, the sequel made major contributions to the symbolism of the games. It did this by directly describing the linking of the first flame as an external object of desire, symbolized by the throne of want, and as symbol for the state of society. We understand this from two quotes fromAldia, the first is in reference toVendrickandVengarl, who sought love and war respectively, only to lose the objects of their obsession. “One man lost his own body, but lingered on, as a head. Others chase the charms of love, however elusive. What is it that drives you?”and among other quotes on life from Aldia, “there are but two paths. Inherit the order of this world, or destroy it. But only a true monarch can make such a choice.”
“One loves ultimately one’s desires, not the thing desired.“
Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, 1886
Check back for Part 2 of this treatise, as we take the ideas presented here and expand upon their meaning and significance in Dark Souls 3, the final entry in this dark opus from From Software.
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Wes
Thank you! Really appreciate it.
This article is incredibly well written! good work, sir!
Nice Article. Keep them coming.
Such a well-written article.
Sweet.
