Symbolism in The Mandalorian

I wanted to start a thread dedicated to symbolism, allegory, and symbols in The Mandalorian Series.

Let me start of with the Mando Mask:

The visor is T shape:


Which is the same shape as the Tau Cross:


Also known as The St. Anthony Cross. The Tau Cross is believed to be the cross Jesus Christ Son of God and Son of David (Romans 1:1-5) died on for the sins of the world:



Which brings me to the motto of the Mandalorians in The Mandalorian S1 Episode 3:

“This is the Way!”

The Mandos repeat this as a mantra, which also is found in Christianity;

“I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.” (Acts 22:4, Holy Bible)

Jesus Christ says, “I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life, none come to Father except through me.” (John 14:6, Holy Bible).

Early Christians called themselves The Way or Followers of the Way:

“And asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:2)

“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.“ (Acts 18:24-25)

The Prophet Isaiah spoke of this Way (Jesus):

“And your ears shall hear a Word (Jesus, John 1:1-14) behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21)

Which is the exact motto or mantra of The Mandos!

This is only the beginning of the symbolism I have found. Please if you see other symbols or allegory, share!

Even if its other religions you see like how Bushido and Samurai codes of Honor play into Mando symbolism and etc.

--- Double Post Merged, Nov 22, 2019, Original Post Date: Nov 22, 2019 ---

More symbolism is that from 100-312 A.D. Followers of the Way (Christians) were persecuted by the Romans, particularly by the emperors Caligula, Nero, Domitian, and Diocletian. In a similiar way The Mandos were persecuted and purged and are hiding underground like many Christians had to in the times of persecution.

 

Babyoda



Represents Baby Jesus:



“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger” (Luke 3:16).

Babyoda has been in an egg shaped pod, like a floating manger, and eggs in Russian Orthodox Church represent resurrection, specifically Jesus’ Ressurection from the dead; egg is like the tomb Christ was buried in after His death on the cross and the yellow yoke represents Him who is Light (John 1:3, 14).

Babyoda is rescued from malice of the Client, much like Jesus is rescued from Herod the Great’s wrath:

“When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi.Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled..” (Matthew 2:16-17)

Babyoda is green and this is the color that surrounds the Lord:

“At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it. The One [The Lord God] seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white, with golden crowns on their heads.” (Revelarioj 4:2-4).

Mando is like Joseph who is warned to protect Jesus:

“When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him” (Matthew 2:13).

 

Another symbolism..

Episode 3 of The Mandalorian is called “The Sin”



Sin is state that began in Genesis 3 with the first humans, Adam and Eve who were decieved by the Devil, disobey God and partook of the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. All of mankind, all of creation is tainted by sin (Romans 8:20), a state of disobedience, and the result is our mortal bodies perish in death (Genesis 2:17). The Lord God not content to leave man in a condition of “seperation” known as death nor the threat of the Second Death of hellfire (Revelation 20:10, 21:8), decided to come and die for man’s sin and whoever believed in him, Jesus Christ, is saved (Romans 10:9-10):

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2).

“Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages (last days) to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:25-26)

“Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son of God (Jesus Christ, 1 John 4:15) also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” (Hebrews 2:9, 14-15)

“I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18)

“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”d that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord (God),” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:8-10).

“Anyone who confesses Jesus Christ as Son of God, God lives in them and they live in God.” (1 John 4:15).



Another symbolism is that Mando betrays Babyoda to get silver metal armor pieces called Beskar. This is remiscant of Judas Iscariot:

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.” (Matthew 26:14-16)

“When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.” (Matthew 27:3-4).

 

Thanks! I am hoping someone with a more acute knowledge of Spartan, Samurai (Bushido), Viking, and Roman religion can explain the “Weapons are part of my religion.” I know the Samurai believed their sword (Daito) was their soul. But the finer points of The Warrior’s Way and Bushido I am not as familar with. Gonna need to do research.

Edit: I know Vikings believed they had to die in battle and with a sword in hand to go to Vahalla (heaven). My neighbor Brian is a Norse-Viking who worships those gods, I’ll ask him some details.

--- Double Post Merged, Nov 22, 2019, Original Post Date: Nov 22, 2019 ---

From my knowledge of Crusader History. The Crusaders or Crucinatia (signed with the cross) Milites Christi (soldiers of Christ) believed that to enter heaven they must die on Crusade fighting in holy war. The Papal Indulgence of Pope Urban II and subsequent pipes like Innocent IiI guaranteed salvation to the souls of soldiers. This concept of esrning eternity in paradise via bloodshed and death in batfld has Nordic-VIking and Islamic Jihad Akbar (holy war, oppose to Jihad Ashgar which is to war witn your flesh and sinful inner person).

The concept of penitential warefare came from a crisis in the Middle Ages. The clergy wrestled with the command “Thou shalt not kill” in a time of professional killing by Knights and men at arms. In Medieval Roman Catholic dogma (not Biblical, salvation is free through profession and belief in your heart that Jesus is Lord and Rose again Romans 10:9-10, John 3:16-18, John 6:40, 1 John 2:1-2, Romans 5:4-11, 1 John 4:15, Acts 15:1-12, Acts 4:10-12, Philippians 3:9) one who commits a mortal ain like murder must go to Purgatory and be purged (purgation) of sin; this csn take millions of years. Concerned for the souls of the warrior class and drawing on Augustine of Hippo’s Just War teachings that a war fought in defense of oneself, liege Lord, or ally is justified in God’s sight, the clergy under Pope Gregory VII designed a code, we call it Chivalry, which would govern knight’s behavior ans help them remove some years in purgatory. Pope Gregory VII foresaw a greater means of helping the warrior class, but he died before he could see the next level of Chivalry; Crusade.

It was to Pope Urban II that the die was caste. He recieving correspondence from a Christian ally in the East, Emperor Alexios I of Constantinople, Byzantium, Eastern Roma (Rome). Alexios spoke of horrors, that the Turkish Forces had plundered his kingdom and were at the walls of Constantinople (Instanbul, Modern day Turkey). Urban had his Just Cause, and he whipped up fervor for what is now callled The First Crusade.

Just war is predicated on helping a ally or neighbor, which stems from militant interpretation of “The second great commandment is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31). The Crusaders had their Just War, but the venture would bankrupt lords, barons (see Godrey of Boullion), knights, and cost many lives via disease and famine and sword. Crusading was not a lootfest or easy means to acquire wealth; the risks and losses of wealth far outweighted the possible spoils (Crusader historians are unanimous on that crusading cost more than gains: Thomas Asbridge, Rodney Stark, Jonathan Riley-Smith, Jonathan Harris, Jonathan Philips, Dan Jones). What drew most Soldiers of Christ to crusade was genuine piety, indulgence, get out of jail (genuine murders were released to do penance on crusade), and apocalyptic beliefs; many a knight believed the Fall of Jerusalem to the Crusaders was a fulfillment of this verse: “And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs (200+ miles).” (Revelation 14:20).

Thus the concept of “weapons are part of my religion” that Mando speaks in Season 1, Episode 2 could be tied to Crusader idelogy, since the hope of salvation for the crusaders was paved with a sword in the shape of a cross (long sword) rather than Christ and him Crucified. It is sad the Crusaders did not know what we Post-Reformed folk do, that The Holy Bible has no pennance and Jesus alone saves through profession and belief (faith, trust in him):

“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord (God),” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:8-10).

“For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (John 6:40)

“and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.” (Philippians 3:9)

“Anyone who confesses Jesus Christ as Son of God, God lives in them and they live in God.” (1 John 4:15).

“Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages (last days) to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:25-26)

“Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son of God (Jesus Christ, 1 John 4:15) also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” (Hebrews 2:9, 14-15)

 

It had been explored that The Tuskan Raiders are based on Bedouin Muslims. In Knights of the Old Republic, you learn from the chieftan that Tatooine was once a green paradiso before it was glassed and turned into a wasteland. The idea of paradise lost is common to all three monthiestic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the surahs of the Q’uran, Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, encourages his adherants to earn paradise; while it is true during holy wars of 623-633 A.D. the Prophet of Islam encouraged Jihad Akbar (holy war, salvation via bloodshed of infidels and death in the holy cause as Mujahideen), he became disillusioned with it and told his commanders (who did not listen) to practice Jihad Ashgar, a process of purgation that my Muslim friends tell me is akin to Christian Regeneration or bearing good fruit (deeds and actions). The difference is Christians rely on faith in Jesus and his sacrifice to save them, while Muslim via Jihad Ashgar must merit paradise by good deeds and hope their God (out of respect I won’t say his Name) will find their good deeds outweighs their bad deeds which ironically is found in Calvinistic Christianity in five ecclesiastical exercises (TULIP, to know if you are Chosen of God), interesting Calvin chose five because Muslims pray five times a day (Salet); perhaps Calvin took unconcious inspiration from Juhad Ashgar. Roman Catholicism has similiarities to Islam in their ideology of Ashgar or Penance, but while Catholics have an intermediate place called Purgatory, Muslims have only Paradise and Hell. I have a theory that when the Medieval Monks brought back the Koran to Europe in circa 600’s that it might have influenced the concept of the Church's own Jihad Akbar called Crusade. Especially since Pope Urban II who called the First Crusade was a monk who would have had access to the Q’uran in 1073-1095 A.D. I am not claiming Muslims or their Holy Book caused the Crusades, I am saying theologians (monks) may have taken some inspiration from it and the Old Testament warrior kings and heroes of Joshua, David, and Saul.

Tuskan raiders have yet to be featured in The Mandalorian, but I am interested to see Mando interact with them and perhaps see more of their culture.


On the right a Tuskan Raider Woman wearing Burqa like outfit similiar to Muslim Women in the Middle East.

 

Origin of The Lightsaber



It is quite possible the Lightsabers of Star Wars are inspired from the flaming sword in the Holy Bible:

“After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a whirling flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24)

Interesringly there is a lava crystal and flamesaber:

 

Fascinating! Please keep sharing what you notice as symbolism and more.

Thinking of the throttle knob ball, it makes me think of the Globus Crusiger Christ holds as he rules the Universe:







The fact Babyoda is the first to mess with it is significant because I made the case in an early post that Babyoda is symbolic of the Christ Child.

 

@iostream Brillant exegesis and analysis! I love the nuggets of allegory you found, especially the one about Mando’s armor and the Armor of God; how his former armor is dead works and how he finds brothers in The Way.

I would say the MAN in Mandalorian is also significant, Representing The Son of Man Jesus Christ:

“And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62).

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

“But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,"--He said to the paralytic--"I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home." (Luke 5:24)

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the Son of Man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV and Aramaic Translation).

In addition to being followers of The Way (“This Is The Way”) the Mandos may have contained in their name Son of Man just as we Christians have Christ in our name.

 

Great catch! I love this idea! And think of Foundling:

“Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.“ (Isaiah 28:16)

“But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11)

“He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” (Luke 6:48)

“Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:13-16)

 

In the latest episode The Mandalorian (Chapter 4, Episode 4) helps some neighbors (Widow and Orphans) against an enemy, risking his life, in this Mando exemplifies these Scripture:

“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” (Isaiah 1:17)

“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4)

“The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31)

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)