Koloss17 She/They Posted February 13, 2020 Posted February 13, 2020 I have been wondering this for a while, but I have now come to seek support from a shard. survivorism has some heavy parallels to Christianity, in the loose sense. There is this low class peasant performing miraculous feats within a great empire with the intention to take it down (I know this isn’t really what Jesus was said to be doing, but that’s how it was misunderstood). He has a crew of people that follow his lead and has the same ideals. He is betrayed by a member of his group and is practically dead. He then returns, bearing legendary mythical wounds, and ascends to be part of a powerful god. He also gets killed by a weapon that is then used as the chief symbol of him by his followers. I know that the order is not exactly how Jesus’ presumed timeline goes, but the parallels are heavy. Are there other religious parallels within the mistborn novels? 1
Pathfinder Posted February 13, 2020 Posted February 13, 2020 (edited) From the man himself: Brandon Sanderson This is the most overt and obvious of my savior-imagery scenes for Kelsier. I hope you didn't feel like I was hitting you over the head with it. (I didn't actually realize the similarity between Survivor and Savior until I was part of the way through the book.) Either way, yes, the Christian imagery is intentional. I didn't put it in simply because I'm religious (after all, if you look at it, Kelsier isn't really all that Christian in the way he deals with people.) I put it in because I think that the images and metaphors of Christianity are deeply-seated in our culture, and drawing upon them provides for a more powerful story. Part of this is to intentionally make people uncomfortable–for discomfort (when used right) leads to tension. The Christians who read this might be made uncomfortable by how strikingly un-divine Kelsier is. He's acting in some of the same roles as Christ did, but he's not the man that Christ was. He's kind of a pale imitation. The non-Christians, in turn, might be made uncomfortable by the fact that Kelsier is manipulating the people in the way that religions often do, giving hope in something that could very well prove to be false. Either way, he is what he is. The truest Kelsier is the one we see near the end, where he's standing in the kitchen, smoldering in his black clothing. He is a dangerous man with powerful beliefs. Mistborn: The Final Empire Annotations (April 2, 2007) Questioner Did you purposely make the Church of the Survivor sort of like Christianity or not? Brandon Sanderson Kelsier intentionally made it like Christianity. In kind of a false way, meaning he read about and had Sazed tell him about religions that were similar and then he built that his own way. Questioner Oh so did Sazed tell him about... Brandon Sanderson Sazed told him about religions that were similar. I wouldn't say Christianity specifically, but their version and things. So there is a yes and a no. Firefight Chicago signing (Feb. 20, 2015) Questioner When you pictured Kelsier in the Mistborn Series, did you see him as a Christlike figure? Brandon Sanderson He sees himself that way, I do not. Questioner And the church that follows up after him, is that more like *inaudible* Brandon Sanderson It is hierarchical like some Christian churches are, but it is not meant to reference any specific church. I'm not *inaudible* to be Kelsier, as he has a more inflated opinion of himself that I think he should have. Skyward release party (Nov. 6, 2018) Edited February 13, 2020 by Pathfinder 3
Koloss17 She/They Posted February 16, 2020 Author Posted February 16, 2020 I guess ironeyes is the devil, and his worshipers would be Scadrian satanists. Is there a religion based around inadvertently worshiping it, like worshiping harmony?
Honorless he/him Posted February 16, 2020 Posted February 16, 2020 (edited) 52 minutes ago, Koloss17 said: I guess ironeyes is the devil, and his worshipers would be Scadrian satanists. Is there a religion based around inadvertently worshiping it, like worshiping harmony? There is, it's called Sliverism, believing in the Lord Ruler and the Last Inquisitor aka Ironeyes And while he might be a Satan like figure to some, Grim Reaper would probably be a more accurate description Edited February 16, 2020 by Honorless 2
Koloss17 She/They Posted February 16, 2020 Author Posted February 16, 2020 Yeah, I just forgot the name of it. Worshippers of harmony worship harmony without directly worshiping harmony. Is there a real world religion like that?
Honorless he/him Posted February 16, 2020 Posted February 16, 2020 37 minutes ago, Koloss17 said: Yeah, I just forgot the name of it. Worshippers of harmony worship harmony without directly worshiping harmony. Is there a real world religion like that? Confucianism is the closest real world analogue that I can think of 1
Karger he/him Posted February 16, 2020 Posted February 16, 2020 50 minutes ago, Koloss17 said: Yeah, I just forgot the name of it. Worshippers of harmony worship harmony without directly worshiping harmony. Is there a real world religion like that? It borrows from confucianism and taoism but I do not think it has a real world corespondent. 1
Honorless he/him Posted February 16, 2020 Posted February 16, 2020 Oh yeah! Taoism fits even better, Yin and Yang, Preservation and Ruin, forces in harmony 2
Koloss17 She/They Posted February 16, 2020 Author Posted February 16, 2020 Just now, Honorless said: Oh yeah! Taoism fits even better, Yin and Yang, Preservation and Ruin, forces in harmony Oh dang! You’re a genius!
Honorless he/him Posted February 16, 2020 Posted February 16, 2020 Just now, Koloss17 said: Oh dang! You’re a genius! Credit goes to @Karger, I forgot about this connection completely
Karger he/him Posted February 16, 2020 Posted February 16, 2020 (edited) 1 minute ago, Honorless said: Credit goes to @Karger, I forgot about this connection completely 2 minutes ago, Koloss17 said: Oh dang! You’re a genius! Thanks. Edited February 16, 2020 by Karger 1
Koloss17 She/They Posted February 16, 2020 Author Posted February 16, 2020 5 minutes ago, Karger said: Thanks. No pwab.
Honorless he/him Posted February 16, 2020 Posted February 16, 2020 No probs, Karg, credit goes where credit is due. Now come back to Cosmere Discussions forum to a certain topic of mine, chop, chop!
Kingsdaughter613 she/her Posted February 21, 2020 Posted February 21, 2020 The way the Terris live in their own enclave, practice their own culture, and discourage (as of recent times) intermarriage, as well as getting too involved in the outside world, is similar to Orthodox Jews (and a few other, less known groups). No clue if that was intentional though. 2
Honorless he/him Posted February 21, 2020 Posted February 21, 2020 5 minutes ago, Kingsdaughter613 said: The way the Terris live in their own enclave, practice their own culture, and discourage (as of recent times) intermarriage, as well as getting too involved in the outside world, is similar to Orthodox Jews (and a few other, less known groups). No clue if that was intentional though. And the Amish 1
Kingsdaughter613 she/her Posted February 21, 2020 Posted February 21, 2020 2 hours ago, Dreamer said: And the Amish The reason I didn’t think they resembled the Amish is two fold: first, they live in an enclave within the city; second, they are not opposed to modern innovations, but they wish to remain separate from modern culture.
Honorless he/him Posted February 21, 2020 Posted February 21, 2020 10 minutes ago, Kingsdaughter613 said: The reason I didn’t think they resembled the Amish is two fold: first, they live in an enclave within the city; second, they are not opposed to modern innovations, but they wish to remain separate from modern culture. fair enough
Negative_Null They/Them Posted March 5, 2020 Posted March 5, 2020 Obviously we don't know enough about Trellism yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if it ended up more like Satanism; taking imagery and lore from other religions and appropriating them to whatever the heck Trell is doing. For instance, the "Faceless Eternals" are similar enough to real Kandra that people notice and refer to them as such
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