Matoran Mythologies

[evil_jaga_genius]

An idea that's been poking around my head for a while.

 

On the island of Mata Nui, the six original Toa Mata/Nuva arrived.  Yet even before they arrived, the villages and regions of the island were named after them.  Tahu of Ta-Koro in Ta-Wahi, for example.

 

Now let's go back to Metru Nui.  The same naming conventions persist, even though the Toa Nuva haven't appeared.  Neither are they mentioned in LoMN, the books, or the comics.  Still, the Ta-Matoran live in Ta-Metru, presumably named after Tahu, so on and so forth.

 

Not only that, but every Matoran shares this common naming convention.  They're never referred to as fire Matoran, but always as Ta-Matoran, even by non-Matoran like Vortixx and Skakdi.  They're all named after Tahu, even in places where Tahu and the Toa Nuva have never been.

 

Here's my theory:  The Toa Nuva were kindof like gods in the Matoran Universe.  They had supernatural powers, were pretty much immortal (even though everything else in the MU is too), and they are referred to in 'the legends'.  I think these legends are like books of Greek and Roman mythology you can get out of the library today - tales the ancients created about the gods, the deeds and adventures surrounding them.  The legends are stories about the Toa and their might, passed on by Turaga for generations, recorded by Ko-Metru scholars.  And everyone in the MU has heard of these tales - at least some of them, enough to know who Tahu, Pohatu, Gali and the rest are.  And because everyone hears the legends, everyone associates fire with Tahu, and gives fire stuff the Ta- prefix.

 

So, essentially, the MU has its own ancient mythology, and this mythology is about the Toa Nuva.

 

What do you think?

[MaksDudekVA]

You're forgetting that the Toa's names are derived from the canon elemental prefixes, not the other way around.

[cjr205]

You're forgetting that the Toa's names are derived from the canon elemental prefixes, not the other way around.

I agree that the toa were probably named after their element, but the other part of the theory could be true.

[MaksDudekVA]

 

 

You're forgetting that the Toa's names are derived from the canon elemental prefixes, not the other way around.

I agree that the toa were probably named after their element, but the other part of the theory could be true.

Despite the fact that the elemental prefixes were used for quite a while before the creation of the Toa Mata? I dunno, seems a bit illogical to me.

 

I think it makes more sense that legends of the Toa evolved from accounts of the various adventures the Toa had when undergoing their training/ before they went to the codrex.

 

I mean, thats how the Av Matoran got the legends, no?

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

As a reminder, the Toa Karda/Mata/Nuva were named after the matoran elements, not vice versa.

 

From the topic title, I seriously thought that this was going to try and come up with actual individual mythologies surrounding the matoran legends, like Artakha and Karzanhi, Tren Krom, and others. Hmm, that sounds like an interesting project, might have to try that out sometime.

 

 

 

You're forgetting that the Toa's names are derived from the canon elemental prefixes, not the other way around.

I agree that the toa were probably named after their element, but the other part of the theory could be true.

Despite the fact that the elemental prefixes were used for quite a while before the creation of the Toa Mata? I dunno, seems a bit illogical to me.

I think it makes more sense that legends of the Toa evolved from accounts of the various adventures the Toa had when undergoing their training/ before they went to the codrex.

I mean, thats how the Av Matoran got the legends, no?

 

Av-Matoran got their accounts because the Toa Mata were in Karda-Nui before heading off to the island of Mata-Nui. Fought off a living bolt of lightning among other stuff.

[MaksDudekVA]

As a reminder, the Toa Karda/Mata/Nuva were named after the matoran elements, not vice versa.

 

From the topic title, I seriously thought that this was going to try and come up with actual individual mythologies surrounding the matoran legends, like Artakha and Karzanhi, Tren Krom, and others. Hmm, that sounds like an interesting project, might have to try that out sometime.

 

 

 

 

You're forgetting that the Toa's names are derived from the canon elemental prefixes, not the other way around.

I agree that the toa were probably named after their element, but the other part of the theory could be true.

Despite the fact that the elemental prefixes were used for quite a while before the creation of the Toa Mata? I dunno, seems a bit illogical to me.

 

I think it makes more sense that legends of the Toa evolved from accounts of the various adventures the Toa had when undergoing their training/ before they went to the codrex.

 

I mean, thats how the Av Matoran got the legends, no?

Av-Matoran got their accounts because the Toa Mata were in Karda-Nui before heading off to the island of Mata-Nui. Fought off a living bolt of lightning among other stuff.

The avohkah were part of the adventures I was referring to :0

[SPIRIT]

Don't forget Vakama's visions. When in doubt for how the Turaga knew something, always blame Vakama's visions.

[Dogbert]

You're forgetting that the Toa's names are derived from the canon elemental prefixes, not the other way around.

 

Exactly. The Mata are named that way because they were supossed to be the last hope, only awakened when Mata Nui was asleep, so having a name more connected to their element has sense in a simbolic way.

 

Even in the case that a Toa fell in Energized Protodemis and mutated in the exact same way, there are no record of them forming a team and calling themselves Nuva.

 

We know that the first Toa was Helryx... no Ga in her name. The first Toa team was the Toa Cordak, led by Lesovik... okay, he has Le in his name, but Nikila and tprobably the other member don't, so it's a coincidence. 

[Zox Tomana]

Don't forget Vakama's visions. When in doubt for how the Turaga knew something, always blame Vakama's visions.

That and their knowledge from Metru-Nui.

[Xeo]

I think it is the other way around. Ta, Ko, Po, Ga, Le, Onu, De, Bo, and all the other prefixes are the Matoran equivalent to that element. So, Ta means fire. Our six main heroes, the Toa Mata, were named with their assigned element.

[Archon~]

I thought that the Mata were literally named after their elements.. As in:

Tahu means fire, Gali means water, Lewa means air etc.

My thinking was that the prefixes are just there since all elements have them, kinda like how Av stands for Avohkii or Kra for Kraahkan.

 

It would make sense since they were designed to be the literal incarnations of their elements and the closest thing to come to an elemental lord in their Nuva forms. Even the whole thing with all of them becoming Nuva when they dipped in EP supports this.

You could argue that their mask powers are more or less designed to bring them to closer to being the element lords of the MU but still having some sort of limitations

 

So Toa Tahu to me literally translates to Fire Hero.

 

I can probably spit out some more "evidence" of how Toa Mata are in fact designed to be close to the elemental lords if anyone wants to et really into it, but we might need a new topic for that.

[Tuuli]

The Toa were revered as spirits that you could say were like gods, in old booklets like the one from the 2001 TGC sets explains that the toa are both loved and feared by them, and that there are many mythologies of the toa, such as when they say it is storming that it is Lewa and Gali's battle. This is pretty interesting.

[Alyska]

The Toa were revered as spirits that you could say were like gods, in old booklets like the one from the 2001 TGC sets explains that the toa are both loved and feared by them, and that there are many mythologies of the toa, such as when they say it is storming that it is Lewa and Gali's battle. This is pretty interesting.

Does anyone know where to find scans of one of these? Apparently a lot of stuff in them isn't quite canon, but from what I've heard of them, they sound really intriguing.

 

I'm just picturing Pohatu being horrified to learn that the Matoran thought he was angry with them every time there was a rockslide or cave-in, and Gali having to tell her villagers that no, they don't need to praise her literally every time it rains, sometimes weather happens by itself.

[SPIRIT]

 

The Toa were revered as spirits that you could say were like gods, in old booklets like the one from the 2001 TGC sets explains that the toa are both loved and feared by them, and that there are many mythologies of the toa, such as when they say it is storming that it is Lewa and Gali's battle. This is pretty interesting.

Does anyone know where to find scans of one of these? Apparently a lot of stuff in them isn't quite canon, but from what I've heard of them, they sound really intriguing.

 

I'm just picturing Pohatu being horrified to learn that the Matoran thought he was angry with them every time there was a rockslide or cave-in, and Gali having to tell her villagers that no, they don't need to praise her literally every time it rains, sometimes weather happens by itself.

 

All I've been able to find is this site, which, despite some pretty sketchy translations, does have the full rules of the Quest for Makuta board game, complete with a lot of subsequently retconned information.

 

 

ONUA :  the earth Toa

Onua guards the land and intervenes when the equilibrium gets disturbed. The Tohunga believe that Onua causes earthquakes as punishment for the villagers when those do not treat their land well.

 

TAHU : the fire Toa

Tahu, the fire ghost, is the eldest of the Toa. He arose when the planet was shaped. This hot-headed Toa lives inside the glowing Mangai volcano, where he surfs the lavastreams.

 

LEWA : the air Toa

Lewa, the air ghost, is the youngest Toa. He rules the skies and the clouds, but he detests water.  According to Lewa, showers are the result of collisions between Lewa and Gali. Peals of thunder are the sound of their battle.

 

GALI : the water Toa

Gali is the only female Toa. Despite her young age, she is very wise. According to the Tohunga, she is the source of life. She is therefore the most worshipped Toa.

 

KOPAKA : the ice Toa

The ice ghost Kopaka lives on the windy sides of Mount Ihu. His personality suits his horrible appearance: grim, calculative and cool-blooded in his acting. Even though the Tohunga fear Kopaka, they are grateful for his protection against Tahu’s fire.

 

POHATU : the stone Toa

All other Toas have a confidence firm as a rock in the old Pohatu. The Tohunga see him as the ghost present in every rock and stone, who is always watching over them. They do their utmost not to anger him, because Pohatu can punish them with destructive landslides.

[Alyska]

Thanks for that! Really interesting stuff.

 

Lewa disappearing during thunderstorms and then coming back afterwards and explaining he had to go sort out a dispute with Gali is definitely something he would do. Gali is somewhat perplexed because all the Le-Matoran seem to get very nervous around her.

 

And I just find the idea of Matoran being afraid of Pohatu hilarious. Poor guy just wants to hug and protect all of his tiny friends, and they're secretly terrified he's gonna murder them all if they upset him.

[Taria Pakari]

Honestly I'm glad none of that is canon. Lewa being feared especially, he was like one of the most chill characters out there.

[FrozenPancake_]

Honestly I'm glad none of that is canon. Lewa being feared especially, he was like one of the most chill characters out there.

 

Kopaka's pretty chill too. Not in the nice-to-hang-with sense (as we all know, he dislikes working with others), but he's just so level-headed... until Tahu shows up, that is. Those two only really got along towards the end of Ignition.

 

I kind of like the idea of the Toa being seen as gods, only for that to turn out as a complete misconception on the Matoran's part. 

 

Just imagine this:

 

Hafu: What did I do, o great Pohatu? A rockslide has crushed my latest masterpiece! Am I displeasing you?

 

Pohatu: Wasn't me! Keep doing your thing, buddy. 

[Archon~]

 

 

The Toa were revered as spirits that you could say were like gods, in old booklets like the one from the 2001 TGC sets explains that the toa are both loved and feared by them, and that there are many mythologies of the toa, such as when they say it is storming that it is Lewa and Gali's battle. This is pretty interesting.

Does anyone know where to find scans of one of these? Apparently a lot of stuff in them isn't quite canon, but from what I've heard of them, they sound really intriguing.

 

I'm just picturing Pohatu being horrified to learn that the Matoran thought he was angry with them every time there was a rockslide or cave-in, and Gali having to tell her villagers that no, they don't need to praise her literally every time it rains, sometimes weather happens by itself.

All I've been able to find is this site, which, despite some pretty sketchy translations, does have the full rules of the Quest for Makuta board game, complete with a lot of subsequently retconned information.

 

 

ONUA : the earth Toa

Onua guards the land and intervenes when the equilibrium gets disturbed. The Tohunga believe that Onua causes earthquakes as punishment for the villagers when those do not treat their land well.

 

TAHU : the fire Toa

Tahu, the fire ghost, is the eldest of the Toa. He arose when the planet was shaped. This hot-headed Toa lives inside the glowing Mangai volcano, where he surfs the lavastreams.

 

LEWA : the air Toa

Lewa, the air ghost, is the youngest Toa. He rules the skies and the clouds, but he detests water. According to Lewa, showers are the result of collisions between Lewa and Gali. Peals of thunder are the sound of their battle.

 

GALI : the water Toa

Gali is the only female Toa. Despite her young age, she is very wise. According to the Tohunga, she is the source of life. She is therefore the most worshipped Toa.

 

KOPAKA : the ice Toa

The ice ghost Kopaka lives on the windy sides of Mount Ihu. His personality suits his horrible appearance: grim, calculative and cool-blooded in his acting. Even though the Tohunga fear Kopaka, they are grateful for his protection against Tahu’s fire.

 

POHATU : the stone Toa

All other Toas have a confidence firm as a rock in the old Pohatu. The Tohunga see him as the ghost present in every rock and stone, who is always watching over them. They do their utmost not to anger him, because Pohatu can punish them with destructive landslides.

Lol they toa were pretty metal originally.

[Taria Pakari]

Lol they toa were pretty metal originally.

 

They're still pretty metal now.

 

 

I'm sorry that was a terrible joke.

[Naota Takizawa]

Let's take things a step further.

 

-Imagine Vakama's horror as he discovers that Tahu's temper is as extreme as he made it up to be. Or the look of disappointment on Jaller's face as he complains to Vakama that he was told the Toa of Fire was a brave, strong & intelligent leader, yet he has the destructive temper tantrums of a child.

-Imagine Gali having to remind her Matoran that rain & tsunamis occur by themselves & she does not need to be praised every time they happen. Or the storms that brew in Ga-Koro are sometimes Lewa & Gali arguing.

-Imagine the look of happiness on the Le-Matoran's face when they see Lewa acting like the party animal Matau made him out to be.

-Imagine Onewa building a statue of a terrified Po-Matoran with small holes that allow wind to rush through, creating the sound of a haunting wail, with Mahi skulls littered at the base for good measure. He would as a scare tactic to make the Koronans well behaved by telling the story of a Matoran who upset Pohatu & was petrified after a deadly landslide wiped out his village. Imagine the confusion of Pohatu as he sees the villagers cowering behind Onewa when a landslide destroys Hafu's statue of Pohatu.

[Regitnui]

All those would be fairly interesting periods for a series of fanfics to explore; how long it took for the "toa as gods" to become "toa as people".

Edited May 18, 2016 by Regitnui

[Tuuli]

Actually it was Canon before Canon so Plus I enjoyed the idea that the Toa were feared, as it gives the story a mythological feel while developing the toa as characters, I always used to think the Toa were evil Judy as they were good. Shadow is just as much a part of them as light.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Huh I never knew those descriptions for the TCG were quite so... mythological. They almost seem to depict the Toa as god-like figures. The villagers simultaneously respecting and fearing them are interesting aspects about the Toa that I think we have seen explored on the surface level (like in the comic, Divided We Fall) but never really in-depth. Shame, I wish they had explored this further.

 

-NotS

Edited May 21, 2016 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[SPIRIT]

Huh I never knew those descriptions for the TCG were quite so... mythological. They almost seem to depict the Toa as god-like figures. The villagers simultaneously respecting and fearing them are interesting aspects about the Toa that I think we have seen explored on the surface level (like in the comic, Divided We Fall) but never really in-depth. Shame, I wish they had explored this further.

 

-NotS

Arguably some of that was seen when the Piraka when they were fake Toa.  I wonder if Greg intended to make that callback to the original draft of Bionicle.  The Piraka are a bit reminiscent of the Boneheads of Voodoo Island with their exaggerated facial features and creepy aesthetic.

[Alyska]

Hakann's behaviour especially isn't all that far removed from how Tahu was when he first showed up. Sure, Tahu never incinerated a Rahi just because it was in his way of the view, but he did once burn down a whole tree (not caring about any animals that might be living in it, or that he could have started a whole forest fire) just because he was too lazy to climb up it. Hey, he very nearly set fire to the whole island when he first got out of the canister.

 

I think Jaller might have had suspicions about Tahu in the same way Garan and the others had suspicions about the Piraka in the beginning, and with good reason.

[Takametru007]

 

 

The traits from the board game seem like they were written when the Toa were enemies to each other. That was the original concept: who could get the masks first: every Toa for himself.

[Alyska]

So much for Unity...