Mythological/symbolic significance of Endor?

Do you think Endor holds any metaphysical/metaphoric significance in ROTJ and the saga?

I personally find it interesting that Endor is a forest moon. Both components seem to have significance. Anakin, as Vader, gives his last pensive glance over Endor, pondering the impact of Luke's words to him. There is that famous phrase: can't see the forest for all the trees. It more or less describes Anakin's outlook in the PT. And now, all those years later, what does Anakin "see" at this time, I wonder? The word "forest" can also be broken down to "for rest", if both words share the "r". I'm sure this process has a name, but I can't think of it. It is curious that Anakin's body is laid to rest on Endor and he appears in spectral form to Luke before "resting" with the Force. Then there is the whole idea that Endor is a moon. Moons always seemed to play a large part in Anakin's life. He wondered if Padme was an angel, claiming he'd heard about angels living on "the moons of Iego", and moons often seemed to be present at pivotal moments in his life (e.g. when facing the Jedi Council, when jumping into the Tusken Camp to save his mother). Endor seems like the perfect place to end the saga and the personal story of Anakin Skywalker.

 

The name of Endor is from the Old Testament. A witch at Endor prophesies Saul's end. Perhaps this has a tie to the idea of another corrupt ruler who thinks himself invincible meeting his end there.

 

Endor represents all that is pure, and innocent in the world. Souls find solace there, species live in harmony there, the cycle of nature thrives.But the Empire and its developments is a threat to that harmony.

Anakin was always happiest when around nature. (Even the windswept desert sands of Tatooine). Having a moment with his son in the sanctuary of Endor, away from his master and the steel jungle environment of the empire, did no harm in his path to redemption.

 

Endor represents a different kind of terrain that they hadn't used in a movie yet. As Lucas said in 1983 "we had to shoot it somewhere".

They should have stuck with their plan and used the Redwoods from B.C., though. More exotic. Canadian, too. Actually, they could have shot Hoth in Canada, too.

Ah well. 't Least Vader's Canadian for 2 episodes.

(pretend the flag here is Canadian n'kay?)

 

It ain't called a sanctuary moon for nothing, and since it's a forest moon, it's appropriate that Vanakin came to his end there and that his corpse was burnt on a pyre in a environment in which sand, which he hated, was not the predominant feature, but rather trees. He had come so far from Tatooine in terms of both the environment in which he died and in the suit in which he was encased like a slave, but in the end he was with family as he had been with Shmi on Tatooine, where he too was a slave.

 

I was just reading "the silmarilion" by tolkien (don't worry I'm more of a Star Wars fanboy). And middle earth is called Endor a few times. That made me wonder if lucas barrowed this phrase, not knowing that it would be such a popular planet.

 

Lucas did sand in ANH, snow in TESB, so ROTJ had to be lava, jungle, ocean or forest. Forest is much cheaper and easier!

 

I'm so glad you posted this.I noticed ages ago that the Saga Begins on an earth-like planet and ends on an earth-like planet (and that montage celebration in Rotj "doesn't...doesn't count"). The first PLANET we see anyone on in the Saga is Naboo. It's like as soon as they (Qui Gon & Obi Wan) pass through the "bubble" to visit Boss Nass, it's figurative of them passing through into another world (which they literally DO), entering a skew of reality (the future). As we see in that episode, many events unfold. The Jedi sense something more is going on underneath the situation("there's no logic behind their actions" or whatever the exact quote was). From here, i don't know what this all symbolizes.

Maybe it's all about balance. The balance of the force is a strong underlying theme in the saga once the prequels came to be, regardless of sub-plot. Destiny. As it turned out, there was a sith lord lingering in the shadows waiting for the right moment to strike, he is the true phantom menace (one of them, anyway). The force was destined to go out of whack and in order to rectify the situation, the chosen one HAD to go to the darkside. Perhaps their journey INTO these dark times is symbolized by life as we all know it (the viewer and the jedi)on a recognizable earthlike planet, followed by a journey into the abyss. By the time of the climax and resolution where everything seems to set itself right (ROTJ), we are brought back to regularity: earth tones. In fact, OT speaking, when i was a kid i like how ROTJ brought us back to the beginning of the story we knew so far, Tatooine. It was something familiar. We knew where we were. As discussed on the audio commentaries, several of the worlds and environments seen throughout are meant to symbolize, or give and undertone. Think of Kamino. A "stormy" place!! The literal birth of the stormtroopers (or what will be the STs, with sterile, dream-like rooms and corridors. The black and white hallway and Jango's quarters. Looks like a storm/clonetrooper uniform. And who can for get mustafar and the chamber on Cloud City? Hell. Perhaps that "bubble" through wich they entered Gungan City was just that, a BUBBLE that the humans kept the primitive races, a hidden city. Once they enterd the bubble, they had to leave. The integration caused many issues, but by ROTJ, the "new school" of human civilians learned to adapt better. They befriended the Ewoks like it was in their nature. to where as the humans were'nt really down with the gungans.

The earth like planet balancing act also happens to be a nice way to bookend tthe saga and tie it together.


I am no scholar when it comes to history and mythology and religion, but to me this seems like decent symbolism. well, it's just MY interpretation of what i've seen from these movies.
Those of you who read this and know a little more about these things, i'd like to hear from you.



This leads to MY opinion that there are several Phantom Menaces: Maul and Sidious are obvious. Palpatine raises SOME suspicion (only cuz we jnew who he really was). Anakin could be considered in retrospect. The Trade Federation? Possibly. But i stongly include Jar-JAr Binks as a PHANTOM menace. Look what happenes in AOTC when he addresses his "dellow felligates". It's all downhill from there. Once Qui Gon and Obi Wan took Jar JAr with them, the galaxy's fate was sealed. I think that this is a major defining moment in our Saga. This can go back to the humans vs primitive culure themes found in star wars that are so widely discussed on these boards.

I haven't had time to watch any movies for months, let alone Star Wars. I'm curious to see what else i could pick up on along the lines i've discussed.

 

Great posts, guys! But I admit I was waiting for someone like MasterACyard to come along. Nonetheless, Jamiebacca, after your astute observations, I can never look at Darth Vader the same way again.

MasterACyard, my hat is off to you, sir. That was a a fantastic post! I think Mandragora would agree with you. Here is what she posted in another of my recent threads:

Now, all of that might be nothing, but when I consider your interpretation, MasterACyard, the pieces begin falling into place.

Here are some more things:

POINT 1: Water is sometimes used to represent the subconscious. Be it an individual or collective subconscious. We seem to see this on Kamino: the water is stormy and elemental. Just like the subconscious, it is roiling and full of danger and intrigue, and it is home to the higher-functionin conscious, as represented by the clone facility, which sits on top. Spielberg's "A.I." also opens with a shot of water. Although it has a literal function, as the planet is meant to have warmed up and sea levels have dramatically risen in the future depicted by "A.I.", it might also have a metaphorical function, and that metaphorical function might be to stress the origins of conscious, particularly as the film opens with a discussion of consciousness. I believe rudimentary searches on Google may provide confirmation of the symbolic function of water in many cultures and many tales over the centuries. It seems likely that George is aware of them, or at the very least, basic meanings for various phenomena and symbols.

POINT 2: I present an extract from a website.

 

Awesome. Glad you liked my post. You would be interested in a really great topic right here:



Im sure you would have great insight.

 

Some bits and pieces I found on various websites on the symbolisms of forests: Forests in mythology are symbols of life and growth, connected with the living force. They are also thought to be places of metamorphoses (the metamorphosis of Vader back to Anakin in this case) and they are thought to be inhabited by ghosts and demons. Forests often play a role in myths as places that must be travelled in ?hero?s journeys?, and are dark places where ?ghosts and monsters? (the subconscious, that is) have to be confronted. As for the moon, like water it is associated with femality. It is also mentioned that forests are viewed as antagonists and even a threat for societies dominated by technology. Installing a deflector shield designed to protect the technological monster called ?death star? on a forest moon thus can be considered a major blunder on the part of Palpatine.

There are a number of parallels between the Gungan underwater world and Endor: both are referred to as primitive societies (3CPO calls the Ewok dialect ?primitive?, the Gungans are called ?primitives? by the trade federation), water as well as forests in mythology are thought to be inhabited by ghosts and demons, both Ewoks and Gungans believe in the existence of gods. As if meant to point the parallels out explicitly, the Gungans? sacred place is in a forest that could easily fit in the landscape of Endor.

Both Obi-Wan / Qui-Gon and Leia /Luke/Han have to travel these dark places, get lost and make contact with their inhabitants ? a visit to the deeper subconscious. They are guests in the ?primitive?s? city, and finally find allies there. Wisely Qui-Gon states that ?we need a navigator to get us through the planet core? ? could be translated ?don?t explore the subconscious without a guide who is familiar with the terrain?! And in the end both are helped in the battle by the new-found allies made in the subconscious spheres.

Interestingly, there?s another planet where water and forest are predominant ? Dagobah. And it is Dagobah where Luke is stranded (with his X-Wing under water!) and where Yoda is studying the living force and teaching Luke to confront dark places and demons. Any thoughts on this?

 

Oops! Here is that link. This is probably my all time favorite TFN thread.

http://boards.theforce.net/the_star_wars_saga/b10456/19957712/p1

i messed up that last one.