Why the Big Secret

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What was the big explanation for why Vakama and Co. didn't tell anyone on Mata-Nui (besides Matoro) about the rest of the universe below them?

 

I know this:

 

-There was no way back to Metru-Nui (as far as I recall) since the eye-hole that they traveled through only worked for leaving the Great Spirit Robot's head, and it became covered in a glacier later on; but I don't think that's all that great a reason to act as though the world they left didn't exist at all?

 

-They were ashamed of their Hordika experience, but I don't think that's enough to make them keep an entire history from their former friends and the people they were sworn to protect, especially once things started to get bad during the invasion of the Bohrok and the Kal.

 

-It could be said that they didn't want to tell the Toa Mata until they were "ready" for the information? (Maybe they expected the Toa to have some knowledge of their duty to awaken Mata-Nui, and didn't want to give them too much information once they realized the Toa had no memories of each other or of Mata-Nui? I don't know, it's a bad theory). But, even if that does work, it doesn't explain why they would have kept everything from the Matoran...

 

I just don't see why the Turaga never told the Matoran anything about the world below them? Especially if they know that leaving Metru-Nui was a bad thing and that they'd need to return eventually? The Toa Metru would likely have been around during the Civil War as Matoran, and seen first hand what an unproductive Metru-Nui does to the Great Spirit. So they would have known that a prolonged absence from Metru-Nui would be bad for the universe, and that eventually they would need to return. So then again...why did they leave at all? Was it to welcome the Toa Mata? To get far away from Makuta?

 

I vaguely understand one or two reasons that were given for the abandoning of Metru-Nui and keeping everything from the Matoran, but what were the super-concrete answers for either of these questions?

Edited July 15, 2014 by Loading...

[Toa of Italy]

The reason they left Metru Nui in the first place was to get the Matoran away from Makuta. Considering that he wrecked their city with a mega-earthquake and then caused it to be invaded by the Visorak, it seems like a sufficient reason to me.  It's true that leaving Metru Nui for a long time would be detrimental to the Great Spirit's health, but for one thing they might have not known that (you say they were bound to due to being around during the Civil War, but that's not necessarily true and even if it were, the Matoran of Metru Nui might have never realized what their fighting was doing to the Great Spirit; even if they had, memory of the past has a way of getting lost in BIONICLE, as we've seen countless times before). Besides, remaining in Metru Nui might have ensured that the Matoran kept working, but only under Makuta's control, who would then have had total control over the Great Spirit's health (which, by the way, was his original Plan).

 

The reason for not telling the tales of Metru Nui before is more difficult. Basically, the reasons you listed are correct. They never told the Matoran because they didn't want them to try and seek out Metru Nui and risk being killed by Makuta or his forces, who working precisely against that. There would have been accessible ways for them to travel down (the tunnels seen in Maze of Shadows, which they used after Makuta's defeat), but they would all have been guarded.

They also felt that the Matoran or the Toa weren't "ready" to know, in the sense that they wouldn't be able to fully understand them and their actions, especially during their time as Hordika, and would therefore lose trust in them. Consider that what Vakama did as a Hordika and what they all went through during that time was a horrible experience and it wouldn't have been easy for them to share it.

 

You say that, when the Bohrok and the Bohrok-Kal attacked, the Turaga should have disclosed their secrets. But in a sense, they did. It was the presence and the actions of the Toa which prompted them to re-open the debate on whether to tell or not the tales of their past. This discussion, as well as some of the reasons behind their decisions to keep it a secret, are reported in BIONICLE Chronicles #4: Tales of the Masks. Unfortunately (in my opinion at least), the summary of this book on BS01 isn't great, but if you don't have it, it's still worth taking a look there and at the pages of the Turaga.

[bonesiii]

It was to make sure no Matoran would think of trying to return, and get killed/infected by Makuta. Very common question. The fact that they needed to be there repairing the city for Mata Nui to be awakened was irrelevant as long as Makuta was guarding the way back -- they needed Toa to handle that first. And then at that time they could tell the Matoran the truth.

 

The idea that there is no way back uses the fallacy of the absolute negative, plus the Matoran didn't need to actually succeed in finding a path for such an attempt to prove very bad (they could just wander in the cave systems until defeated by Rahi). They knew it was down, and they'd found two ways involving caves already, and couldn't rule out others. (There were also countless Bohrok vents, plus the Turaga seemed to know that the Kini-Nui had a way down, or at least Nuju did.)

 

And they delayed telling the story to the Toa because they weren't yet sure they could trust them, plus there was no time until after the Kal when enemies seemed defeated, then it was delayed again because of the Rahkshi.

 

As for why they left, Makuta went to all that trouble to put the Matoran in those pods, and then have the Visorak guard them -- it was clear Metru Nui wasn't safe for the Matoran anymore. The hope was to get the Matoran elsewhere, and then the Toa would deal with Makuta. But the Matoran needed awakened, and that turned them into Turaga. So they hoped future Toa would come about to deal with Makuta. Of course, we know that in reality if Makuta had wanted to, the setting would be no real obstacle to stopping them all (though the Vahi was one factor that did give him real hesitation, as he believed Vakama would break it if threatened too clearly), but his reasoning was about keeping them out of the city so Mata Nui would eventually die, and then Makuta could do the switcheroo.

[fishers64]

Makuta was probably the main reason, but there was plenty of other fun things down there. Like the Rahi Nui and a few gallons of energized protodermis, not to mention a bunch of kraata and other Matoran-friendly life forms. 

 

Takua: Cool, there's an ancient city down there! I'm going to find it! Anyone want to come with me?

[boston100]

Ya they didnt want them to know so they wouldnt try to find it and die.