Deciphering Religious Symbolism in Halo

[@olinolmstead4490]

Somehow I never made the connection to The Flood that came to kill all life in the galaxy, and The Flood in the bible that came to...well...wipe out all life on earth. Also the name the Covenant makes a lot of sense now. This was also a great recap of some high level Halo lore. Great vid!!

[@legalam]

I haven’t watched the video yet so apologies if he already covered it but God sent down the flood to wash away the sinners and in Halo 2 the gravemind introduces himself as “a monument of your sins”

[@wacopaco2099]

The covenant is actually based on Islam believe it or not. Arbiter was originally going to be called the Dervish, which is an Islamic term. They had to remove Islamic chants that were used in the high charity levels. High charity itself is actually supposed to be Mecca, all the covenant species are told to travel to it once in their lifetimes. MC has lots of Jesus references aswell, with the whole savior of humanity concept along with a lot of other stuff.

[@scouttrooper2871]

And they also invade the good guys’ worlds and led by a bunch of crazy fanatics

[@SandwichDoctorZ]

Plus his name is basically a Bible verse lol

[@foxtrotmp5]

Thanks for doing this video. That was a very frank and interesting talk about Christian symbolism in Halo. I liked that you mentioned Neon Genesis Evangelion and how that has some symbolism, but was more of a backdrop than the central focus. I’m kind of surprised you didn’t mention Master Chief’s name is John 117, also a biblical reference. I’m not a Christian BTW, I just find retelling of biblical stories in a different context really interesting.

[@Lankee-y]

Waiting for this vid felt like half a year lets gooo

[@RemptonGames]

Sorry for making you wait! I hope the video makes up for it

[@sergiocarranza1572]

The Covent call John 1.17 demon, & in the bible John 1.17 for the law was given through moses, grace comes from christ, so the covenant is like the Jews that hates the Christ , who did come to fulfil the law

[@Tywild327]

It’s not 1.17 it’s just 117

[@justchilling704]

I actually think it’s reference to 1 John 1:7 which reads ““but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

[@the-birbo]

@@justchilling704 ew master chief is a jesus allegory? how boring

[@justchilling704]

@@the-birbo Nah your opinion is boring 😴

[@Caligulashorse1453]

@@justchilling704 it could be a reference to both since the Bible says Jesus broke the the law of sin and death and Master chief could represent A Christian walk.

[@darkspy1277]

Only 164 likes, deserves more, the story is definately speaking deeper than the shooter soldier aspect its played as, the story of forerunners and thr flood and ancient humans, who was then de evolved, this is all speaken of in ancient tribes and cultures of the star people, those who came from the stars, graham handcock sais we are species with amnesia and we have forgotten how poweful we was at 1 time.

[@pomaimoikeha829]

Im interested in the odst symbols. Great video.

[@darkkepler3712]

7 trumpetsss seven rings one switch

[@JoshuaAndres]

Oh shit you’re right

[@vardiganxpl1698]

may the heavens burn the galaxy!

[@stephenoneil8499]

Great video! Always been a fan of the game and the deeper meaning of it

[@michaelkelleypoetry]

I've always seen at least the main three Halo games that Bungie made as being a story of Law VS Grace. The Covenant are like the legalistic Judaizers in the Bible who held firmly to the Law (i.e. the Old Covenant) for their salvation (the Great Journey). However, what they think is their salvation (activating the Rings) is Death because the Halo Rings were created to deal with a parasitic organism that destroys the individual and assimilates it into a hive mind (the Flood is like Sin). The activation of the Rings destroys all life in the galaxy to stop the spread of the Flood (Sin) which is what the Flood in the book of Genesis did. Humanity's only hope in the games is embodied in the Spartan Supersoldier, John-117, and in the Bible, John 1:17 says, "The Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." Hope is not found in adherance to a strict religious law code, but in Christ.

[@sukaenacornelius9285]

I didn’t realize how much Christian symbolism is used in certain video games, Books, and movies. I.e. Halo, Lord of the Rings two of which I grew up enjoying.

[@linkinpark2380]

Loved this video!!! :) could you do a similar video on Mass Effect? Thank you hehe

[@GoldenWolf115]

JOHN 117 and the tagline for the halo 2 trailers being BELIEVE is too good.

[@Prophet_of_Colour]

The lack of lore in the development of and final product of the first game doesn't mean that the series isn't religiously and otherwise super symbolic. It immediately grew to a great Canon, even if not planned.

[@lost4468yt]

It's definitely more than dressing. The themes of religion run very heavily throughout the series (especially those by Bungie). Yeah the early design decisions were random, chaotic, and codenames were nonsense. But that's how many creative projects start, you start with a poorly thought out likely unoriginal idea, and then as you go along the team thinks about it more and more and the ideas become more and more developed. Jokes can turn into serious parts of the series, in jokes develop from jokes into more flushed out thought out parts. Yes the simple high level ideas are thought out earlier on (FPS military sci-fi shooter etc), but they're just rigging to actually form the full story around. Halo definitely followed this design philosophy. As did Half-life and many other games. Especially back then because you could cut and redo content much more easily than today (today it takes far far more resources so cutting things and rewriting is much more reserved), and cutting content is a key part of this type of creative design philosophy. Halo started using many things as a joke. The game pretty clearly didn't have a coherent direction until quite far in. If you look at the beta etc footage then the entire tone of the game is different, the serious darker tone came relatively late. But when it did they pretty clearly centred on that and pushed it. The religious iconography etc started as a joke, but by the end of the development of the first game it was a pretty clear theme. By Halo 2 it was a very clear and thought out part of the story, far from the dressing and jokes of the early development of the first game.

[@the-birbo]

My stepdad got me an xbox and halo for christmas one year... so that i could watch him play it...

[@canislupus3655]

Did he at least let you ‘play’ with an unplugged controller?

[@the-birbo]

@@canislupus3655 nope

[@spiritofhalo3685]

I think that the forerunners are gods..........and the story of that movie, I have forgot the name, where the all animals, birds and reptiles board in that ship with those humans...... I think that this stories are related with aliens and the earth religious symbols....... I think that there are some mysterious things hidden in this planet, Earth..........

[@XSilver_WaterX]

Wished the new company would reinstate the religious-expy in the franchise but no. Even theories of canceled projects of a new spartan than ONI assigned to investigate and hopefully kill the flood(which is impossible because they are also humanity's Gods), making sub-canon games dedicated of Grunts and Brutes culture, writing an epic poem on the Precursors perspective on humanity and if it did see the betrayl of Forerunners, have 3 games each on music gerne of church-choir, penances and revolutionary. Now we just pray that the first 3 games don't blink-out of market or fans WILL go rabid.

[@DonaldBuckley7202]

Excellent summation. It may be that the developers (Precursors), those transsentient minds that exceed the confines of the game itself, initially used the framework of Biblical history but then adulterated that narrative with pagan religious iconography. Now, I would more easily identify the Covenant with all non-Biblical religions such as Islam whose doctrinal requirements insist on the destruction of all other religious faiths, ergo Dar Islam.

[@mikerenfro4608]

Awesome, I agree with its just another fun game series.

[@Tywild327]

Lol I see a Rwby box in the background. And rooster teeth made RWBY and rooster teeth ALSO made Red Vs Blue which is Halo

[@RemptonGames]

Now you just need to find 5 more clues to learn where I buried my treasure!

[@rhyslynch8336]

where did you find the visuals for this video? cant find this halo cartoon it looks so cool

[@--...--...--...]

I believe (haha) it's from "Halo: Legends"

[@acer0255]

Notice how those who were essentially the "Gods" (Precursors), became the Devils of the story? All life came from them, but then they reassimilate it into a hive mind or "Grave mind?" The Forerunners fulfill the biblical role of the rebelling angels, who didn't want to bow to Humanity, but then are replaced by Cortana, who is covered in Luciferian motifs. My interpretation, is that even though the leaders of the covenant were wrong, the idea of "The Great Journey," following the activation of the rings, is actually correct. If instead of modern day "Christianity," the entire series is referring to "Gnostic Christianity," then that would make the Precursors, the God/Devil creator who is responsible for creating the suffering of the fleshy, physical existence and incarnations. The Halo rings, if fired, would remove all bodies that could be incarnated into. In essence, freeing the souls from physical bondage and suffering. Of course, lower minds would only see a weapon of destruction, but that's the point. To throw everyone off of the scent of the real story that is being told. Most people still haven't recognized that Chief's armor is reminiscent of a Serpent. His mask is an open mouth with fangs on the visor. (See: Alfa Romeo and Quetzalcoatl) Most don't notice that Cortana represented Chief's intuitive faculties. Serpent and Bird. Cortana is blue and has wings on her back. Her chip was placed at the cerebrum. She was Toto, and the lady in the blue dress. Chief's GUIDING system. Chief's "Only Love." The Mammalian brain that made chief MORE than a machine. His companion. At the end of Halo 4 and 5 she fulfilled her role as a Luciferian archetype. She took over the Forerunner/Promethean tech and rules from that throne. It's a very deep story. Those who want to destroy all bodies. Those who want to continue life and incarnation in bodies. A ruler who is a created, non-physical being who wanted to "Live" so badly, that she took over the entire galaxy. When she touched chief for the first time she said, "You know how long I've been waiting to do that?" Nonphysical, ethereal being who wanted to feel a BODY, but she only touched a shell of a man who feels empty without her.

[@scottyperes9160]

If anything, I’d say Halo is a critique of Gnostic philosophy. The Covenant’s ‘Great Journey’ to escape the physical world and its involves wiping out an entire species, which only recreates more suffering, thus affirming their faith. In the old lore, it’s all but confirmed that Humans and Forerunners were the same species. Guilty Spark even tells Chief, “You ARE Forerunner.” The Forerunners, being wise and enlightened. Believed all life was sacred, so they made sure to save copies of every organism and restore them to their natural habitat as after dispelling the Flood which wish to melt all individuals into earth me horrific body. Besides, I’m the 343 lore, the Forerunner rebelled against the Precursors because they were jealous of humans, not because they hated their own existence. Master Chief’s synergy with Cortana could be seen as an Alchemical Rebus, a communion between man and woman, human and machine. Cortana’s name is a reference to the sword used by one of the knights on the Song of Roland. Nothing to do with Gnosticism. You are right about Halo being cyclical. All Bungie games are theorized to be part of a cyclical history in which every universe contains a story of a hero fighting against the forces of chaos and darkness, in this case being the Flood. Gnosticism is a memetic virus that infects the minds of of individuals by taking advantage of their suffering and insecurities, bolstering their biases against their lives. It then spreads like a wildfire, creating hysteria. Reality is what you make of it, and if you conclude that life is cruel and unnecessary, then your life will become as such. I pity people who think like you do.

[@LandB2015]

Grand

[@nolef7nu7]

Just look at destiny. Compared to Halo it's even more in your face.

[@womancandyxxx8556]

John 1: 17

[@nolef7nu7]

That Anno quote was a after a 13 year a girl asked him the question. If course he's not going to get into it. None of these people do. They don't explain anything. This is for people who know, they don't care that you don't, and the stuff isn't in there to educate you. If anything, they probably find it funny that you think you understand anything at all. Every fan is a fool