Traditionally there's a somewhat mismatched set of seven virtues cobbled together from the three theological ones (faith, hope, and charity) and the four cardinal ones (prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude). While they're very nice and virtuous and all, afaik they've never gained as much of a foothold in popular thought as the Seven Deadly Sins. Mind you, a movie based on seven virtues would probably end up rather dull.
I haven't played enough video games to notice that pattern, but it does sound familiarish; it could be partially modelled on the "Sailor Moon" paradigm, which overlaps the four psychological primary colors with both Eastern and Western planetary symbolism. The attacks of Sailor Mercury (blue) are ice/water-based attacks, Sailor Mars (red) fire-based, Sailor Venus (gold) metal-based, and Sailor Jupiter (green) wood/electricity-based. Sailor Moon (pink) is mostly useless but provides a symbolic center, rather like the occasional insertion of the mysterious "quintessence" (purple) into the middle of the Western elemental quartet.
Speaking of sacred popsicle molds, ever notice how all three Indiana Jones movies center on maternal symbolism? Or at least I think they do; the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail are pretty straightforward, but I have to confess that I've managed to forget most of "Temple of Doom" except for the idea that Kali Ma is one bad mutha.
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2005-01-26 06:33 am (UTC)I haven't played enough video games to notice that pattern, but it does sound familiarish; it could be partially modelled on the "Sailor Moon" paradigm, which overlaps the four psychological primary colors with both Eastern and Western planetary symbolism. The attacks of Sailor Mercury (blue) are ice/water-based attacks, Sailor Mars (red) fire-based, Sailor Venus (gold) metal-based, and Sailor Jupiter (green) wood/electricity-based. Sailor Moon (pink) is mostly useless but provides a symbolic center, rather like the occasional insertion of the mysterious "quintessence" (purple) into the middle of the Western elemental quartet.
Speaking of sacred popsicle molds, ever notice how all three Indiana Jones movies center on maternal symbolism? Or at least I think they do; the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail are pretty straightforward, but I have to confess that I've managed to forget most of "Temple of Doom" except for the idea that Kali Ma is one bad mutha.