Magic and
Mythology
Without question, the team behind Silent Hill did quite a bit of research to
give the supernatural elements of the game an air of authenticity. Even so,
the sum total of all the supernatural elements adds up to a bit of a mish-mash
of different ideas and ideologies; however, there is no question that the carefully-chosen
names used gives players hints of something much larger going on than Harry
Mason sees. I have done some on-line research into the meanings of many of the
names used in the game, and present it here.
Flauros
According to S. L. MacGregor Mathers' edition of
the Goetia, the Flauros is not an object.
Flauros is a demon who "giveth True Answers of all
things, Present, Past, and to Come. But if he be not commanded into a Triangle,
he will Lie in all these Things..."
In Silent Hill, the Flauros is an object given to Harry Mason by Dahlia Gillespie. The Flauros sits useless in Harry's inventory for most of the game, until he is confronted by Alessa at the Amusement park. At this point, the Flauros becomes active and "captures" Alessa; she is then taken by Dahlia to Nowhere, where Dahlia's plan to give Samael physical form is to take place.
So what's the connection? Well, if I remember correctly, the Mark of Samael is a triangle inscribed in a large circle. When Alessa is captured by Dahlia, she is bound by the Flauros inside one of the Marks. Finally, at the game's finish, the Flauros has led to Alessa revealing her "true" form: that of the demon Samael. So while the Silent Hill team did not use the meaning of the name "Flauros" literally, their naming of the object was very likely deliberate in its implications-- an object that reveals truth, linked to the triangle markings.
Samael
There are somewhat conflicting reports on exactly what Samael
is. According to Encyclopedia Mythica,
Samael is "A name for Satan. Samael
appears in the Book of Enoch and is a prominent character in the Zohar and other
kabalistic literature." There's also a band named Samael,
which may be another reason the name was chosen (there are other references
in the game to the bands Sonic Youth and Psychic TV). Samael,
in the Kabbala, is the wife of the demon Lilith: "Samael
is called the Slant Serpent, and Lilith is called the Tortuous Serpent (Isa
27:1). She seduces men to go in tortuous ways.... And know that Lilith too will
be killed. For the groomsman [BlindDragon] who was between her and her husband
[Samael] will swallow
a lethal potion at a future time, from the hands of the Prince of Power. For
then, when he rises up, Gabriel and Michael will join forces to subdue and bring
low the government of evil which will be in heaven and earth." The
name Samael has elsewhere been linked to the "Angel
of Poison," similar to the Angel of Death. At any rate, the references
are consistently of an evil and, at their best, unpleasant nature, which would
make this an appropriate name for the horror that Dahlia planned to bring to
Earth.
Metraton
Of all the names used in Silent Hill, this one has proven to be
one of the hardest to pin down a meaning for (at least that everyone can agree
with). At one point, Dahlia Gillespie says "I was shocked to hear the talisman
of Metraton was being used." However, I don't
believe I remember it actually showing up at any point in the game. Given the
context, it is probably something Dahlia doesn't like; and, from the definitions
I can find of Metraton, it does sound like something
that would be used against her. According to Rabbi
Dr. Michael Samuel, Metraton is "regarded in
the apocalyptic literature [Cf. Alphabet R.Akiba, as well as the other Hekalot
books ] as the supreme angel of the angelic realm. He is sometimes referred
to as the "the Prince of the Divine Countenance." and who is sometimes referred
to as the Shechinah. His primary mission is to provided sustenance to humankind
and the world [Cf. Rashi on Ex. 23:21 21. The numerical value of Metatron is
equal to that of Shaddai (the Almighty)]." Dr. Samuel's
full answer to the Metraton question can be found
here. The
mathematical aspects of the Kabbalah (an ancient Jewish holy writ) is mentioned
in the above quote, but a full explanation would likely be incredibly dense;
for more information on that, go see Pi!
Also, for you Kevin Smith fans, you'll remember Metraton from Dogma. In that film, and thusly in Kevin Smith's research, Metraton is the Voice of God. I haven't stumbled across this in my research, but Dr. Samuel's description doesn't seem too much different than this.
Various
Objects
The names of many objects in Silent Hill seem very
strange; most of them seem to be, and in fact are, names of ancient magical
figures. Here is a listing of items with
significant names and what their names mean:
The Keys of Aratron, Hagith, Ophiel, Phaleg,
and Bethor
According to The Arbatel of Magic, Aratron
is a "governor" who has the ability to convert anything to stone,
teaches alchemy and magick, can cause one to become invisible, and "The
barren he maketh fruitful, and giveth long life." Whether the designers
of Silent Hill went by this ancient description to get the name of this particular
key is unclear; as it turns out, there is also a company called Aratron
which makes anti-ESD (Electro Static Discharge) devices for electronics, and
the Key of Aratron is initially protected by electricity.
Likely, given the frequency of references to the Arbatel, the two different
sources of the word dovetailed nicely: a key protected by electricity which
has a name with magical ties.
Hagith, according to symbols.com, is "the fifth of the Olympic spirits or the spirit of Venus." Referred to elsewhere as "Transmuter."
Ophiel, according to symbols.com, is "the sixth Olympic spirit, the spirit of Mercury." Ophiel also seems to have some ties to the practice of astral projection.
According to the Arbatel of Magic: "(Phaleg) ruleth those things which are attributed to Mars, the Prince of peace. He that hath his character he raiseth to great honours in warlike affaires."
Finally, a description of Bethor from the Arbatel of Magic: "Bether [sic] governeth those things which are ascribed to Jupiter: he soon cometh being called. He that is dignified with his character, he raiseth to very great dignities, to cast open treasures: he reconcileth the spirits of the aire, that they give true answers: they transport precious stones from place to place, and they make medicines to work miraculously in their effects: he giveth also familiars of the firmament, and prolongeth life to 700 yeares if God will."
Bethor, Phaleg, and Aratron seem to be considered by the Arbatel to be some sort of agents under God; angels, perhaps. Another Phaleg is also mentioned in The Antiquities of the Jews: "Heber begat Joetan and Phaleg: he was called Phaleg, because he was born at the dispersion of the nations to their several countries; for Phaleg among the Hebrews signifies division." One of this man's descendants was named Abraham, though whether this is the Abraham or not, I'm not sure.
The Disk of Ouroboros
This is an item found in the section of the game referred
to as Nowhere, and one of the items needed to open the door that leads to the
final showdown with Dahlia and Samael. According to the Encyclopedia
Mythica, "Ouroboros
("the tail-devourer") is the symbolization of concepts such as completion, perfection
and totality, the endless round of existence, etc. It is usually represented
as a worm or serpent with its tail in its mouth."
The Dagger of Melchior
While it certainly sounds like some ancient magical figure,
I have been unable to find any supernatural link to the word Melchior.
The closest thing? Well, I got some search results referencing the name of a
famous artist with that last name. Also, Lauritz Melchior
was a legendary Danish tenor. He could be another link with the bands mentioned
above, but that's pretty doubtful.
Ankh
This is another item needed to open the door to the final
confrontation with Dahlia. The ankh is actually
an ancient Egyptian symbol. From the Encyclopedia
Mythica: "Found widely in Egyptian art, the ankh
has come to symbolize life after death. Originally an Egyptian hieroglyphic
representing the womb with its looped top, its meaning is related to matters
concerning life and death, or rather, Eternal Life ("Nem Ankh").
In art, especially that depicting funeral ceremonies, their gods and goddesses
are shown clutching the ankh by its loop as if
it were a key. In this manner, it is believed that the ankh
would open the gates of death on to immortality."
So, like the Ouroboros, the ankh is a symbol associated
with eternity, and hence with immortality.
