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Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?
Posted By: UrsusArctos <zloty5@netscape.net>Date: 4/2/06 8:57 a.m.

The battle rifle has the words "The monkey king" inscribed on its right side, right in front of where it says "Kal 9.5x40", something that was spotted way back in the E3 2003 demo.

According to the wikipedia, the monkey king or Sun Wukong, to give his chinese name, is a fictional character based on ancient myths and tales. He is an extraordinary monkey with extreme strength, power and a taste for mischief.

In addition to being immensely powerful and nearly indestructible (Becoming even more so in later adventures), he had fiery red eyes (Result of an attempt by heavenly deities to melt the indestructible troublemaker), and a magical iron rod that could change its shape and size, as well as some magical armor, both of which he wrangled out of a dragon king.

For all the chaos and mayhem he wreaked, the Buddha imprisoned him under a mountain for five hundred years, and released him on the condition that he accompany a monk to India on a sacred mission to recover and translate Buddhist holy texts. He has no choice but to obey the monk on the journey. If he reverts to any of his old mischief, he'll have to suffer intolerable pain.

This might seem a whole lot of trite to most of the people reading this; other than something silly on the side of the battle rifle, where's the Halo in it? Or rather, where is it in Halo?

Now, who's the logical monkey king in Halo? Tartarus, the Brute chieftain. That boss battle at the end proves that he's far stronger and tougher than any other brute. Magical armor and staff? He has that super shield system and that hammer, "The Fist of Rukt (Which means 'Blood' in Hindi and Sanskrit). He's got red eyes too. I can't say that he's a perfect copy of the monkey king, but he does match many of his features.

In the novel First Strike, there is a file called "King under the mountain" which may not refer to scandinavian myth but to the monkey king, who was imprisoned under a mountain.

And finally, Tartarus has to do what Truth orders. In the scene where Mercy is abandoned after being attacked by a flood form, Tartarus is disgusted by Truth's reaction, but he follows Truth without helping Mercy at all. Is it because he is a blind follower or is it because he has no choice in the matter?


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Replies:

Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?UrsusArctos 4/2/06 8:57 a.m.
     Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?Spartan Jag 4/2/06 10:22 a.m.
           Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?UrsusArctos 4/3/06 8:40 a.m.
     Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?The Freeloader 4/2/06 11:26 a.m.
           Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?j41m3z 4/2/06 2:05 p.m.
                 Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?Doctor Nightfall 4/2/06 2:24 p.m.
                       Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?UrsusArctos 4/4/06 8:15 a.m.
                 Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?The Freeloader 4/2/06 2:53 p.m.
                       Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?Frofalcon 4/5/06 9:18 a.m.
                             Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?Frankie 4/5/06 5:07 p.m.
     Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?joel 6/13/06 10:07 a.m.
           Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?UrsusArctos 6/13/06 10:41 a.m.
           Re: Classical Chinese Literature in Halo?Popetacular 6/13/06 10:44 a.m.



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