I'm really loving these video game religion videos! I really hope these become a more regular thing, because they're absolutely fascinating and judging by the the comments- they might be introducing more people to religious studies in general. There are a ton of games that feature spirituality too, so these videos could go on for quite a while if you ever wanted to do more!
Reminds me of another video elsewhere on youtube, which pulls out "and we know DK Jr. is capable of advanced thought, as shown in Donkey Kong Jr. Math"
Also loved that bit. Postmodern af. Perhaps someday our holy books will be, "interactive experiences" instead of, "books, rituals, customs..." We could, "make ritual magic real" through, "technology" thereby synthesizing modernity and premodernity! I think good old Aleister Crowley and Genesis P-Orridge would agree.
Astrolatry, you say? Sounds like I need to make an entire D&D world around this. The players are going to be mad when they figure out they're in the Mario universe.
Even if you use different names, I feel the mushroom people and turtlefolk are going to be an obvious giveaway.Though I suppose you can avoid it somewhat by initially setting the game in some human-dominated place like Sarasaland (where Daisy is from) and then introduce Toads and Koopas in later sessions.
Binging this channel has been quite fun, but this is an amazing vid. Now I'm about to go check whether you've done any religion analyses for the world of Nirn from the Elder Scrolls franchise.
I'm pretty convinced that Mario is an incarnation of Māra, the god of death in Buddhism. There are of course, multiple Māras, who themselves have followings of siblings, offspring, and companions. It is believed that the Māra who tempted the Buddha was converted to Buddhism by a monk named Upagupta, effectively making him more friendly in worldly human relations and lawfulness, but his function as a reminder of death and the ongoing process of rebirth in the "game of life" remains an obstacle in the quest of emancipation from the realm of sensual pleasure.
According to the instruction manual of SMB1, they had eyes because they were actually people (?) transformed into these objects by the Koopa: “One day the kingdom of the peaceful mushroom people was invaded by the Koopa, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horse-hair plants, and the Mushroom Kingdom fell into ruin.” This doesn’t seem consistent with what we see in later games, but I guess that makes it just like most other religious/mythological sources.:.
ReligionForBreakfast Yep. I have actually been playing Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker for the last few days, so I hear you. The ways we entertain ourselves in quarantine. But I probably should get a system newer than the Nintendo GameCube! 🤣🤣
First time I watched this video I wouldn’t have known wtf you are but I’m glad to come back and see your comment here It’s like walking through your old high school and seeing the same homeless Man in the same place as he was before and the same bathroom with the hole in the wall from a punted cola bottle And the- FULLY UPGRADED JUNGLE GYM BUILT A DAY AFTER I GRADUATED *WTF* GUYS in any case Stoney, I’m a happier man than I was when I first came to this video and I’m happy to have learned so much from both you and Religion for breakfast, you both helped me with understanding the world around me and I’m grateful to what you helped me with -Wishing you the best, from a fan
I just love how you used the phrase "my contribution to this scholarship" when referring to a reddit thread about a fan theory regarding star worship in a video game. 😂 Great work as always! Love this channel.
My brain keeps on going between "ok, he's totally joking about this as if it's a real serious thing" and "ok, he's talking about the actual theory behind the game". My brain hurts.
I never exactly thought I'd be watching a video on Mario's religion but to me he could either believe in the mushroom kingdom mythology or be a Roman Catholic because he's from italy.
No he is not Japanese, he didn't have a nationality when first created and had no proper name. He was named Mario after an Italian American that had some business with Nintendo US and became more and more associated with Italy (the mustache also helps). So Italian-american is the closest thing to Mario's nationality.
In the current canon he’s not Italian or Japanese. He was born in the Mushroom Kingdom and lived in New Donk City for a time period. This was established in the mid 90s.
Wow. More of this please. :) I actually really like the break downs of religions in video games. Maybe final fantasy or Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest? Both have churches/temples in the game and religious classes.
I love this! One thing that it would seem would be the case for this universe is there are different types of stars that range from no consciousness to full consciousness. But it does seem that individuals can achieve godly powers with the usage of stars. The star rod is an interesting feature of divine power that can be used by an individual that makes them almost if not stronger than any individual being. It takes all of the conscious star spirits, powered by wishes to match its power itself. Thus it seems the power of the wish, wherever it comes from, is an interesting aspect of the mushroom kingdom religion.
It seems to me that the seven star spirits draw at least some inspiration from Shintō’s shichifukujin, with one of them looking an awful lot like Benzaiten with her ribbon.
@@louismarx8269 well he is, in the mario universe new donk city is new york city like libert city in gta, so in new donk city there's the brooklyn, and after the yoshi's give him and Luigi back to they parents they live in the broklyn of the mario universe
RFB: We're gonna do religious studies to videogames! Me: YEAH DO IT!!! RFB: Also there was a point to this video Me: Wait, what??? Joking aside, I'd love to see a full video on the separation of church and state and the various ways that phrase can be interpreted. It seems like you've been touching on that subject a lot lately with both this and American civil religion
Don't forget the Dark Star from Bowser's Inside Story! It's a "fallen angel" sort of narrative. Other details of note: it was possible to overpower, but only using the sacred "star cures" guarded by powerful, spiritually-connected beings called sages.
@@Eddies_Bra-att-ha-grejer The American marketing division gave Mario his name, so they _can_ contribute to canon, and Miyamoto himself said the arcade game "Mario Bros." takes place in the sewers of New York. Besides that, it seems Nintendo doesn't really care about canon in the Mario games, but they were open to the idea of him being an Italian from New York at least in the early days. Also, if Mario was from the real world and discovered the Mushroom Kingdom, it probably shattered whatever belief he had in organized religion.
I'm so excited for the algorithm to eat this shit up! A talent content creator can maintain their ethos and pathos, while adapting to the logos of the platform. I think you've done just that and you're an inspiration for me as an academic and creator. Thanks for the content!
Well the Paper Mario games, especially the first two (the good ones), take place in a VERY different world than the main canonical world of the Super Mario games. I think the Superstar Saga games are also in their own continuity.
They're the same continuity. This is made very clear in various games. Technically the paper mario games are set in the paper world but the paper world is a mirror of the real world, and various paper mario characters are seen elsewhere in games set in the real world.
So, bit of a walk, but stay with me: I took an art history class in school that was a semester long look at Asian religious art east of Iran. The professor did this by following the spread of Buddhism, looking at each country's art before the arrival of Buddhism, the country's contribution to Buddhist art, and then how the country's local religious art changed in response to Buddhist influences. It was a lot of fun. Every time the professor started on a new country, he'd ask general questions about it to see how much we already knew. Usually, there were three of us who had done the reading (myself and two others) and we answered most of the questions, sometimes saying the same answer in unison. Then he got to Japan. *Professor:* First question, what is the other main religion in Japan, aside from Buddhism? *The entire class in unison:* Shinto. *The Professor:* Thank God for Anime.
Being an Italian American steroetype, you'd think Catholic, but considering Japanese developers, I'm guessing it'll be very Shinto, with local gods and spirits all over.
This is the news I need rn. Ty Seriously tho, excellent video, I never would've guessed any religious tone with Mario... just mushrooms, star shaped acid, miniature dinosaurs and flying turtles.
Your breakdown of astrolatry is so legit. I learned a lot here o: Tho I'm curious what kind of state you're envisioning when you refer to Peach's state religion. Most of her political duties seem to revolve around cake, the same way most of Mario's "plumbing" has to do with crawling down sewer pipes and beating up anything he finds on the other side. While the title of princess is political in our cultural context, I wonder if it translates more as 'priestess' or 'muse' in Mushroom Kingdom society. Rather than manipulating public policy (is that even a thing in this kingdom?), it seems like people try to capture her 1) as a divine battery to power their ambitions, 2) as a hostage to manipulate Mario, or 3) because she's just...really really nice? and people want that kind of presence in their life? She's got a pure and nurturing heart. And in general, it seems like the theme of metaphysically-gnostic 'princesses' is about having the means to take a clean shot at metaphysical evils. Nobody else is qualified to cast Magic Missile at the Darkness.
Thank you so much for putting together videos about fictional religion. As someone who takes inspiration for my own spiritual path partly from fictional sources, it's really exciting to see.
@@humanity600 Yes, something like that. Granted it's more personal than organized, as those are. I consider it an extension of my path as a solitary pagan.
Didn't some of the Greeks think that their gods literally lived in top of Mount Olympus? If so, the idea of just going and visiting the home of the gods like Mario did wouldn't be without predicent.
Ok, I just finished watching this and I have thoughts. The bit about star children reminded me of the Noble Lie from Plato's Republic. It seems like the idea of star children might be used to maintain the hierarchy the same way the idea of precious metals being found in the souls of the Greeks would allow the upper classes to maintain power. Its notable that none of the servile characters like Toad, or the goombas are star children and are required to serve in their respective kingdoms. That being said you are probably right to base the religion on Shintoism since it is a Japanese game.
Is Rosalia some kind of goddess? Are Lumas and Starkids the same or different? And, much less related, do super mario galaxy 1 and 2 take place 100 years apart, or are they alternate realities?
I think the difference between "political Abrahamic religion" and "true Abrahamic religion" is literally baked into their entire belief system, which is why is it always important in each iteration. In fact, one of the main sins, splitting the religious worship/creating a sect is usually based in a political split, as powerful well-connected people within the church structure start to use the beliefs as political collateral on some level.
Mario "cannon" is a complete mess, but we do know for sure Mario RPG isn't cannon to anything, so it's not a great source. And apart from the Paper Mario series being set in a different dimension, Paper Mario is (confusingly enough) a completely separate character from regular Mario, so whatever he does and may or may not believe has no bearing on Mario's beliefs. And the same is true for all the other paper counterparts.
I like the idea of Mario games being quoted like books in the Bible like maybe I’m an orthodox believer who doesn’t recognize paper Mario as being religious canon
I disagree on the invincibility powerup. These are consumables, shaped like stars. Just like mushrooms come in both sentient form, the Toads, and power-ups. These also have eyes.
Can you do a video on religion in Pokemon. There is a church in Pokemon platinum and the pokemon Arceus is the "god" that creates all of the other pokemon, yet, the pokemon mew is related to every pokemon which is a nod to evolution
I am VERY surprised that you didn't talk about the Jizo statues that appear all over the series. Actually talk about non-Theravada Buddhism is sorely lacking in this channel overall.
In the current game canon he’s not Italian. He was born in the Mushroom Kingdom and lived in New Donk City for a time period. This was established in the mid 90s.
No force on Earth can convince me that Mario isn't Catholic, Peach isn't Anglican, and Bowser isn't Puritan, or, at least, the Mushroom World equivalents.
I saw the picture from one of Nintendo's quiz cards the other day of Mario praying next to a Qur'an. I am both proud and disappointed that I immediately recognized the picture you used at 1:10 as being from that same quiz card.
It would require a long play time, which isn’t going to be plausible for a short video if you haven’t played it, but there could be an interesting examination of the Fire Emblem Three Houses religion. The Church of Serios is an interesting part of the story, and the beliefs and how they were crafted and for what reasons is fascinating.
I would love to see your take on the Lwa and Orisha, I live in New Orleans and have been working with them for years. It's always interesting to see an outside take on one's own practices, I really have enjoyed your videos so far.
So princess peach is a theocratic fascist leader and Mario is the enforcement arm of the religious police or military? *TECHNICALLY?* ...is bowser the good guy?
@@ReligionForBreakfast Have you checked out 99% Invisible? They did an episode linking Costumed Mascots with Yokai. There's some connection to Pokemon and Kami.
Love this. The media that makes me think most of kami is Spirited Away where Chihiro bathes a filthy spirit and after all the human pollution is washed away, you see that it is a river Kami.
This contribution to religious studies is so, so, so, so, so... funny, and strangely illuminating. Thank you! PS. I have never ever played a game in the Mushroom Kingdom.
I love how this channel talks about serious religious subjects, than talks about if there is a religion in Super Mario in a snap of a finger. I just love it.
This is fantastic. I'm fascinated by how the golden coins in Mario games tend to have a star design on them, as if the currency of this world is also symbolically related to the stars. Speaking of praying, Peach's tinted glass window on her castle in Mario 64 is an image of her seemingly praying and looking up to the stars, surrounded by five 5-petalled flowers, just as stars are also depicted as having 5 points. So again, coins, flowers, stars all seem to be interrelated.
This is actually fantastic!!! I appreciate you going out of your way to prepare this! I love them gem at the end of the interconnectedness of religion and culture. ... to make this personal, I’ve recently gotten interested in Afro futurism culture, and I’ve seen cool concepts that theologically I don’t really agree with. I have a Christian background and thought, I can still keep my religion and just express this culture. I also don’t want to alienate others. To your point though, whether a cross, tree worship, or ancestral conversation, religion will show itself in any culture I take on. I guess this doesn’t change anything right now, I’ll just be aware
The mushroom kingdom might not be the only kingdom practicing this religion In Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, the Bean Star is depicted as the protector of the Beanbean kingdom. The Bean star is a powerfull entity that can grant ANY wish, and it's kept safe in the castle of the royal family, directly under the watch of Queen Bean and Lady Lima. Not only that. But in Mario and Luigi Bowser inside story, there is a shrine dedicated to the star spirits in Peach's castle, and Peach herself at the beginning of the game explains that she tried to comunicate with the spirits, who decided to send Starlo to haid the Mushroom kingdom. So yes. It is "canon" that the star spirits are also worshipped outside the Paper Mario universe. 💁 Oh. And there are actual gods in the Mario universe. The Zeekeeper for example, the guardian god of Pi'illo island
Paper Mario was probably the first game I ever played that had any real worldbuilding. It got me fascinated with the setting of the Mushroom Kingdom. It's culture, religion, and history. So, I love this kind of video! Thank you so much for sharing this, your analysis is really interesting.
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.82[1/2] แก๊ง 3 สาวเพื่อนซี้บุก CAMPปลิ้นครั้งนี้ห้ามเสียอาการ](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_6WUjXHe1TM/mqdefault.jpg)
Watch my analysis of religion in the Zelda series here: th-cam.com/video/xdRG0443jYE/w-d-xo.html
Ok, but are you going to cover the final fantasy serries next?
I've long had a crush but now I'm in love. Lol
I'm really loving these video game religion videos! I really hope these become a more regular thing, because they're absolutely fascinating and judging by the the comments- they might be introducing more people to religious studies in general. There are a ton of games that feature spirituality too, so these videos could go on for quite a while if you ever wanted to do more!
You almost got a dislike until you made sure to include Super Mario RPG.
Video game religions?... genius. You gotta do mortal kombat.
P.S. Super Mario Bros. 3 is a religion. For its when mario has risen.
"According to Yoshi's Island DS" is such a powerful phrase
Reminds me of another video elsewhere on youtube, which pulls out "and we know DK Jr. is capable of advanced thought, as shown in Donkey Kong Jr. Math"
I came here to comment on how he said that exactly the same way he would say according to the Bible or according to the last guru of Sikhi
Also loved that bit. Postmodern af. Perhaps someday our holy books will be, "interactive experiences" instead of, "books, rituals, customs..." We could, "make ritual magic real" through, "technology" thereby synthesizing modernity and premodernity! I think good old Aleister Crowley and Genesis P-Orridge would agree.
yoshi island is the holy scripture of the mario religion
The sacred texts
Astrolatry, you say? Sounds like I need to make an entire D&D world around this. The players are going to be mad when they figure out they're in the Mario universe.
Or they‘re going to be amazed!
Any updates on this?
Even if you use different names, I feel the mushroom people and turtlefolk are going to be an obvious giveaway.Though I suppose you can avoid it somewhat by initially setting the game in some human-dominated place like Sarasaland (where Daisy is from) and then introduce Toads and Koopas in later sessions.
I've been working on a Mario tabletop campaign ever since the Lego line launched
so I can use them as miniatures
@@voliol8070 lol the moment when the group realizes that they've been being dunked on for their first four levels of progression
The title sounds like something Brian David Gilbert would tackle on Unraveled and I’m here for it
Very interesting. Lol. Very into studying religions, but this question has never crossed my mind. Now I know. Thanks dude...
Ikr.😂
Binging this channel has been quite fun, but this is an amazing vid. Now I'm about to go check whether you've done any religion analyses for the world of Nirn from the Elder Scrolls franchise.
The Elder Scrolls religions would be a curious study
I would be cool if you could do a series of videos on the Synoptic Gospels, going over the Synoptic problem, Q Source, and why John is different?
ty
Still diligently waiting for you to speak about the elder scrolls religon
I'm pretty convinced that Mario is an incarnation of Māra, the god of death in Buddhism. There are of course, multiple Māras, who themselves have followings of siblings, offspring, and companions. It is believed that the Māra who tempted the Buddha was converted to Buddhism by a monk named Upagupta, effectively making him more friendly in worldly human relations and lawfulness, but his function as a reminder of death and the ongoing process of rebirth in the "game of life" remains an obstacle in the quest of emancipation from the realm of sensual pleasure.
Did anybody else check if this video was released on April 1st, lol?
Didn’t occur to me that all the hills, mountains, clouds, and bushes having eyes would be tied to shintoism.
whoa you're right. Sort of a pantheism maybe.
Wait... The hills /do/ have eyes...
Ha. This is less child friendly now.
@@CaBarry374 How does that make it less child friendly?
Phenom Uprising There is a horror movie called The Hills Have Eyes. Carson is making a joke.
According to the instruction manual of SMB1, they had eyes because they were actually people (?) transformed into these objects by the Koopa:
“One day the kingdom of the peaceful mushroom people was invaded by the Koopa, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horse-hair plants, and the Mushroom Kingdom fell into ruin.”
This doesn’t seem consistent with what we see in later games, but I guess that makes it just like most other religious/mythological sources.:.
He's an Italian plumber and your'e telling me he's not Catholic?! Mama mia! This was a great video :)
he refused his false god
@@GrexTheCrabasitor what?
Serenity NOW!
GrexTheCrabasitor
Edgy. Literally watching a religious video on Mario and you think your smart.
He mama‘d his last‘a mia!
Finally...getting serious about a religious topic and mythology that is actually important!
Definitely worth hours of my time. #QuarantineLife
🤪🤣
ReligionForBreakfast Yep. I have actually been playing Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker for the last few days, so I hear you. The ways we entertain ourselves in quarantine. But I probably should get a system newer than the Nintendo GameCube! 🤣🤣
“According to Yoshi’s Island DS”
That’s a citation I didn’t expect to see today.
Don't expect me to believe anything without academic sources like this!
Star Spirits are based on the Seven Lucky Gods.
Eldstar = Jurojin.
Mamar = Kisshoten
Misstar = Benzaiten
Muskular = Daikokuten
Kalmar = Hotei
Skolar = Bishamonten
Clevar = Fukurokuju
For real? That's cool. I wonder how much of Mario's universe was influenced by Shinto and Buddhist beliefs.
What about bravestar?
Mamar 💀
I wonder if Miyamoto ever envisioned that his video games would one day be analyzed by true religious scholars? Great topic!
I bet he didn‘t. But as Video games grew to true cultural importance, it‘s only fair, right? We do the same with movies, books, plays etc.
Of Course Not: That Dude Does't Even Care About STORY In His Own Games,Much Less What Anyone Takes Away From It.XD
He just wanted funny yahoo man
This is fascinatingly deep for what I thought would be a pretty light and amusing video
First time I watched this video I wouldn’t have known wtf you are but I’m glad to come back and see your comment here
It’s like walking through your old high school and seeing the same homeless
Man in the same place as he was before and the same bathroom with the hole in the wall
from a punted cola bottle
And the- FULLY UPGRADED JUNGLE GYM BUILT A DAY AFTER I GRADUATED *WTF* GUYS
in any case Stoney, I’m a happier man than I was when I first came to this video and I’m happy to have learned so much from both you and Religion for breakfast, you both helped me with understanding the world around me and I’m grateful to what you helped me with
-Wishing you the best, from a fan
Thank you for this unprecedented scientific contribution!
I feel that religion in the mushroom kingdom is an understudied field.
I just love how you used the phrase "my contribution to this scholarship" when referring to a reddit thread about a fan theory regarding star worship in a video game. 😂
Great work as always! Love this channel.
The removal of individualized partners from Paper Mario is a form of iconoclasm.
My brain keeps on going between "ok, he's totally joking about this as if it's a real serious thing" and "ok, he's talking about the actual theory behind the game".
My brain hurts.
Ah yes I have been waiting for the Mario and Star Trek crossover for over 20 years now.
It will release 3 years after Half-Life 3.
Mario walks with the prophets :)
Mario Star Trek Nerds Represent!!
I’ve never felt so seen
I never exactly thought I'd be watching a video on Mario's religion but to me he could either believe in the mushroom kingdom mythology or be a Roman Catholic because he's from italy.
He's not, he's Japanese, it has been confirmed. May be Italian looking.
No he is not Japanese, he didn't have a nationality when first created and had no proper name. He was named Mario after an Italian American that had some business with Nintendo US and became more and more associated with Italy (the mustache also helps). So Italian-american is the closest thing to Mario's nationality.
@@PuntinoNero So, Italian is Mario's adopted nationality then.
In the current canon he’s not Italian or Japanese. He was born in the Mushroom Kingdom and lived in New Donk City for a time period. This was established in the mid 90s.
he is not japanese miyamoto already said he is ethnically italian
Wow. More of this please. :) I actually really like the break downs of religions in video games. Maybe final fantasy or Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest? Both have churches/temples in the game and religious classes.
Oh yes. Final fantasy would be so cool.😊
I love this! One thing that it would seem would be the case for this universe is there are different types of stars that range from no consciousness to full consciousness. But it does seem that individuals can achieve godly powers with the usage of stars. The star rod is an interesting feature of divine power that can be used by an individual that makes them almost if not stronger than any individual being. It takes all of the conscious star spirits, powered by wishes to match its power itself. Thus it seems the power of the wish, wherever it comes from, is an interesting aspect of the mushroom kingdom religion.
It seems to me that the seven star spirits draw at least some inspiration from Shintō’s shichifukujin, with one of them looking an awful lot like Benzaiten with her ribbon.
When you're going into the super Mario RPG for SNES that's when you know you've gone too deep XD
"gone too deep" pun intended?
I thought he'd be Catholic, because he's meant to be a stereotypical Italian
As written by Japanese who didn't research Italian culture for Mario's character development, though.
He etnicity is italian, he nacionality is a man from mushrom kingdom
@@elderjose9662 I always thought he was from Brooklyn
@@louismarx8269 well he is, in the mario universe new donk city is new york city like libert city in gta, so in new donk city there's the brooklyn, and after the yoshi's give him and Luigi back to they parents they live in the broklyn of the mario universe
@@louismarx8269 but he bourn in the mushrom kingdom
Before I watch, I'll guess: Shinto?
Kinda
Good guess.
Boom! You nailed it!
Same thought!
RFB: We're gonna do religious studies to videogames!
Me: YEAH DO IT!!!
RFB: Also there was a point to this video
Me: Wait, what???
Joking aside, I'd love to see a full video on the separation of church and state and the various ways that phrase can be interpreted. It seems like you've been touching on that subject a lot lately with both this and American civil religion
Don't forget the Dark Star from Bowser's Inside Story! It's a "fallen angel" sort of narrative. Other details of note: it was possible to overpower, but only using the sacred "star cures" guarded by powerful, spiritually-connected beings called sages.
I always assumed it was Roman Catholicism since he was originally supposed to be an Italian from earth
He's not from Italy, he's from the mushroom kingdom.
Eddie in modern canon yes but originally he was from brooklyn
@@DreadBirate Those cartoons were made up entirely by the American marketing division, they were never canon in any way.
Maybe Mario converted at some point between the events of Mario Bros. & Super Mario Bros.
@@Eddies_Bra-att-ha-grejer
The American marketing division gave Mario his name, so they _can_ contribute to canon, and Miyamoto himself said the arcade game "Mario Bros." takes place in the sewers of New York. Besides that, it seems Nintendo doesn't really care about canon in the Mario games, but they were open to the idea of him being an Italian from New York at least in the early days. Also, if Mario was from the real world and discovered the Mushroom Kingdom, it probably shattered whatever belief he had in organized religion.
Next video: Are pokemons immortals!?
I'm so excited for the algorithm to eat this shit up! A talent content creator can maintain their ethos and pathos, while adapting to the logos of the platform.
I think you've done just that and you're an inspiration for me as an academic and creator. Thanks for the content!
Easy. Catholic.
Laughed out loud reading this.
Kinda makes me think of the early-development promotional material of A Link to the Past, which heavily implied Link was Catholic.
Well the Paper Mario games, especially the first two (the good ones), take place in a VERY different world than the main canonical world of the Super Mario games. I think the Superstar Saga games are also in their own continuity.
They're the same continuity. This is made very clear in various games. Technically the paper mario games are set in the paper world but the paper world is a mirror of the real world, and various paper mario characters are seen elsewhere in games set in the real world.
Out of curiosity, why do you say they take place in an alternate continuity?
Hey! I didn't play all the Paper Mario games, but Paper Mario: The Origami King is really good too!!
I can’t wait for Nintendo to pull down this educational video about religion because it mentioned M*rio
So, bit of a walk, but stay with me:
I took an art history class in school that was a semester long look at Asian religious art east of Iran. The professor did this by following the spread of Buddhism, looking at each country's art before the arrival of Buddhism, the country's contribution to Buddhist art, and then how the country's local religious art changed in response to Buddhist influences. It was a lot of fun.
Every time the professor started on a new country, he'd ask general questions about it to see how much we already knew. Usually, there were three of us who had done the reading (myself and two others) and we answered most of the questions, sometimes saying the same answer in unison. Then he got to Japan.
*Professor:* First question, what is the other main religion in Japan, aside from Buddhism?
*The entire class in unison:* Shinto.
*The Professor:* Thank God for Anime.
Being an Italian American steroetype, you'd think Catholic, but considering Japanese developers, I'm guessing it'll be very Shinto, with local gods and spirits all over.
Is it accurate to use terms like "creation myth" and "supernatural", when those things actually happened and are part of nature in those games?
This is the news I need rn. Ty
Seriously tho, excellent video, I never would've guessed any religious tone with Mario... just mushrooms, star shaped acid, miniature dinosaurs and flying turtles.
Me: "Oh cool a new religion for breakfast video! Cant wait to see it!"
(Looks at title)
Me: NOW I HAVE TO SEE IT
3:42 Deep cut? Sir, I have been slayed! Bifurcated!
Your breakdown of astrolatry is so legit. I learned a lot here o:
Tho I'm curious what kind of state you're envisioning when you refer to Peach's state religion. Most of her political duties seem to revolve around cake, the same way most of Mario's "plumbing" has to do with crawling down sewer pipes and beating up anything he finds on the other side. While the title of princess is political in our cultural context, I wonder if it translates more as 'priestess' or 'muse' in Mushroom Kingdom society.
Rather than manipulating public policy (is that even a thing in this kingdom?), it seems like people try to capture her 1) as a divine battery to power their ambitions, 2) as a hostage to manipulate Mario, or 3) because she's just...really really nice? and people want that kind of presence in their life? She's got a pure and nurturing heart.
And in general, it seems like the theme of metaphysically-gnostic 'princesses' is about having the means to take a clean shot at metaphysical evils. Nobody else is qualified to cast Magic Missile at the Darkness.
"She's got a pure and nurturing heart." Aside From That Time She Flat Out Left Both Bowser AND Mario On The Moon And Hijacked Mario's Airship.XD
Yeah, most 'king by God' people don't rule quite like Peach.
There is always the possibility that Peach is a figure head.
But then I wonder, who does have the power? The Toads?
Thank you so much for putting together videos about fictional religion. As someone who takes inspiration for my own spiritual path partly from fictional sources, it's really exciting to see.
Wait, you mean like Jedism and cthulhism and stuff?
P.S: not judging, I'm asking an honest question.
@@humanity600 Yes, something like that. Granted it's more personal than organized, as those are. I consider it an extension of my path as a solitary pagan.
Didn't some of the Greeks think that their gods literally lived in top of Mount Olympus? If so, the idea of just going and visiting the home of the gods like Mario did wouldn't be without predicent.
I love how this channel is just so serious and then in the middle of everything there's this
Ok, I just finished watching this and I have thoughts. The bit about star children reminded me of the Noble Lie from Plato's Republic. It seems like the idea of star children might be used to maintain the hierarchy the same way the idea of precious metals being found in the souls of the Greeks would allow the upper classes to maintain power.
Its notable that none of the servile characters like Toad, or the goombas are star children and are required to serve in their respective kingdoms.
That being said you are probably right to base the religion on Shintoism since it is a Japanese game.
I don’t know how you kept a serious and deadpan delivery up. This is so funny.
Is Rosalia some kind of goddess? Are Lumas and Starkids the same or different?
And, much less related, do super mario galaxy 1 and 2 take place 100 years apart, or are they alternate realities?
I really appreciate how seriously you take these relatively unserious topics
I think the difference between "political Abrahamic religion" and "true Abrahamic religion" is literally baked into their entire belief system, which is why is it always important in each iteration. In fact, one of the main sins, splitting the religious worship/creating a sect is usually based in a political split, as powerful well-connected people within the church structure start to use the beliefs as political collateral on some level.
Mario "cannon" is a complete mess, but we do know for sure Mario RPG isn't cannon to anything, so it's not a great source. And apart from the Paper Mario series being set in a different dimension, Paper Mario is (confusingly enough) a completely separate character from regular Mario, so whatever he does and may or may not believe has no bearing on Mario's beliefs. And the same is true for all the other paper counterparts.
I like the idea of Mario games being quoted like books in the Bible like maybe I’m an orthodox believer who doesn’t recognize paper Mario as being religious canon
Stars are daemons
"My new contribution to the scholarship..."
*is talking about Mario*
I disagree on the invincibility powerup. These are consumables, shaped like stars. Just like mushrooms come in both sentient form, the Toads, and power-ups. These also have eyes.
Can you do a video on religion in Pokemon. There is a church in Pokemon platinum and the pokemon Arceus is the "god" that creates all of the other pokemon, yet, the pokemon mew is related to every pokemon which is a nod to evolution
I would love to see more videos like this!! just analysing religious concepts in popculture
I am VERY surprised that you didn't talk about the Jizo statues that appear all over the series. Actually talk about non-Theravada Buddhism is sorely lacking in this channel overall.
he's Italian, so either catholic or Pastafarian.
Pasta is from China, originally!
In the current game canon he’s not Italian. He was born in the Mushroom Kingdom and lived in New Donk City for a time period. This was established in the mid 90s.
MAMA MIA! I PREFORMED THE RITUAL INNCORRECTLY! MY MEATABALLS ARE CURSED!
Reminds me of Lewis' conception of a Natural God
No force on Earth can convince me that Mario isn't Catholic, Peach isn't Anglican, and Bowser isn't Puritan, or, at least, the Mushroom World equivalents.
Did I expect this video? No. Did I click on it really fast once I saw it? Yep.
Born Catholic. Explored a bit. Only celebrates Christmas.
I saw the picture from one of Nintendo's quiz cards the other day of Mario praying next to a Qur'an.
I am both proud and disappointed that I immediately recognized the picture you used at 1:10 as being from that same quiz card.
This channel mentioned *Astrolatry*
Me, as an astronomer: Good. One more *astro-thing* that I have to explain to people.
A Paper Mario reference before the Origami King game release. Good timing
Mario logic: slap some eyes on it, and bam, it's alive. XD
Don't forget Amaterasu as well, eh, given that the sun is a star.
I mean, it is one of the easiest ways to convey the concept of being alive as opposed to an inanimate object
Why don't Talk about the Pokemon World Religion
Could you next look at the religion(s?) of Minecraft?
It would require a long play time, which isn’t going to be plausible for a short video if you haven’t played it, but there could be an interesting examination of the Fire Emblem Three Houses religion. The Church of Serios is an interesting part of the story, and the beliefs and how they were crafted and for what reasons is fascinating.
i like your observation of fictional religions maybe you could tackle the elder scrolls or game of thrones religions later
I'm glad it's now too late for my mom to watch this and forbid me from playing it as a kid
Remember when Mario was just a simple plumber? Those were the good old days.
I would love to see your take on the Lwa and Orisha, I live in New Orleans and have been working with them for years. It's always interesting to see an outside take on one's own practices, I really have enjoyed your videos so far.
So princess peach is a theocratic fascist leader and Mario is the enforcement arm of the religious police or military? *TECHNICALLY?*
...is bowser the good guy?
Are you suggesting that theocracy is not the only true form of government?
You blaspheme!
Is this gonna be a series of analyses of video game religion?
Possibly. I have a Pokemon and religion episode planned, but that's about it. Open to suggestions.
@@ReligionForBreakfast Dark Souls. There's a lot of symbolism in there that ties into the games' themes (the nature of soul, for one)
Ooh! Do SOMA! There's a technological heaven, and talk about souls but it's also our world
@@ReligionForBreakfast Have you checked out 99% Invisible? They did an episode linking Costumed Mascots with Yokai. There's some connection to Pokemon and Kami.
Love this. The media that makes me think most of kami is Spirited Away where Chihiro bathes a filthy spirit and after all the human pollution is washed away, you see that it is a river Kami.
This contribution to religious studies is so, so, so, so, so... funny, and strangely illuminating. Thank you!
PS. I have never ever played a game in the Mushroom Kingdom.
I love how this channel talks about serious religious subjects, than talks about if there is a religion in Super Mario in a snap of a finger. I just love it.
Here's waiting for the Metroid's Chozo religion analysis next
It must be easy for peach and Mario to claim divine origin over their toad subjects when they are physically taller and stronger than them.
This is fantastic. I'm fascinated by how the golden coins in Mario games tend to have a star design on them, as if the currency of this world is also symbolically related to the stars. Speaking of praying, Peach's tinted glass window on her castle in Mario 64 is an image of her seemingly praying and looking up to the stars, surrounded by five 5-petalled flowers, just as stars are also depicted as having 5 points. So again, coins, flowers, stars all seem to be interrelated.
At what point did you consume the shrooms?
On a serious note: I se you've done a video on the cult of Mithras. Is there any chance you'll do one about the cult of Cybele?
This is actually fantastic!!! I appreciate you going out of your way to prepare this! I love them gem at the end of the interconnectedness of religion and culture. ... to make this personal, I’ve recently gotten interested in Afro futurism culture, and I’ve seen cool concepts that theologically I don’t really agree with. I have a Christian background and thought, I can still keep my religion and just express this culture. I also don’t want to alienate others. To your point though, whether a cross, tree worship, or ancestral conversation, religion will show itself in any culture I take on. I guess this doesn’t change anything right now, I’ll just be aware
Jesus. Unironically
Jesus is the truth and the way
Your heart and love of Good will show you this to be true because God is love
Bless you.😇🙏
You would absolutely love Elder Scrolls lore
This is exactly what I need to see at 4:00 AM, thanks TH-cam
"But my contribution to this scholarship . . ."
Wow, never knew Super Mario can be a subject for a dissertation.
Oh wait, you do mention her. Never mind. But yeah, "divine right" is kind of...dumb.
The mushroom kingdom might not be the only kingdom practicing this religion
In Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, the Bean Star is depicted as the protector of the Beanbean kingdom.
The Bean star is a powerfull entity that can grant ANY wish, and it's kept safe in the castle of the royal family, directly under the watch of Queen Bean and Lady Lima.
Not only that.
But in Mario and Luigi Bowser inside story, there is a shrine dedicated to the star spirits in Peach's castle, and Peach herself at the beginning of the game explains that she tried to comunicate with the spirits, who decided to send Starlo to haid the Mushroom kingdom.
So yes.
It is "canon" that the star spirits are also worshipped outside the Paper Mario universe.
💁
Oh.
And there are actual gods in the Mario universe.
The Zeekeeper for example, the guardian god of Pi'illo island
So Mario is a Demigod Plumber? Neat.
Paper Mario was probably the first game I ever played that had any real worldbuilding. It got me fascinated with the setting of the Mushroom Kingdom. It's culture, religion, and history. So, I love this kind of video! Thank you so much for sharing this, your analysis is really interesting.
Nobody told me its April? 🤨
I never knew I wanted to know this