4 ms·

Medjed: From Ancient Egypt to Japanese Pop Culture (2017)

43 points by Kapura 3y ago

AdamH12113 3y ago
This explanation does a great job of blending pop culture analysis with ancient history. I particularly like the use of primary sources. The author seems to be a biologist and paleontologist[1]; anyone know if he's written anything else on history? [1] https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/ https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/
- gwern 3y ago
  If you follow the tabs, he has a whole slew of popularizing articles: https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/publications/science-outreach/ https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/publications/science-... https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/publications/others/ https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/publications/others/ I liked https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/12/28/the-astolfo-effect-the-popularity-of-fate-grand-order-characters-in-comparison-to-their-real-counterparts/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/12/28/the-astolfo-effect-the-p... https://jgeekstudies.org/2023/04/06/a-practical-implication-of-the-astolfo-effect-bias-in-ai-generated-images/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2023/04/06/a-practical-implication-... https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/02/11/mary-anning-fossil-collector-paleontologist-and-heroic-spirit/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/02/11/mary-anning-fossil-colle... https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/02/06/the-giant-snails-of-ark-survival-evolved/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/02/06/the-giant-snails-of-ark-... https://jgeekstudies.org/2018/10/17/douglas-adams-and-the-worlds-largest-fattest-and-least-able-to-fly-parrot/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2018/10/17/douglas-adams-and-the-wo... https://jgeekstudies.org/2018/05/19/dogu-from-prehistoric-figurines-to-collectible-pocket-monsters/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2018/05/19/dogu-from-prehistoric-fi... https://rodrigobsalvador.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/soares-et-al_2019_metalbirds.pdf https://rodrigobsalvador.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/soares-... https://jgeekstudies.org/2019/05/19/pokemollusca-the-mollusk-inspired-pokemon/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2019/05/19/pokemollusca-the-mollusk... https://www.scielo.br/j/hcsm/a/3f7pGvQSBQNC4kkC8MXsbQQ/?format=pdf&lang=en https://www.scielo.br/j/hcsm/a/3f7pGvQSBQNC4kkC8MXsbQQ/?form...
Cpoll 3y ago
Another oddity is that Medjed isn't depicted in profile like other subjects in Ancient Egyptian art.
bashauma 3y ago
As always, Nico Nico Encyclopedia[0] and Pixiv Encyclopedia[1] are good entry points for Japanese pop/otaku culture (though they tend not to have as many excellent sources as this article does). This entry in the Pixiv Encyclopedia is valuable because it mentions the two most popular Japanese IPs using god Medjed in them and not covered in the article, Fate/Grand Order and One Piece. [0]: https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%89 https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83... [1]: https://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%89 https://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%89
rootsudo 3y ago
I’m playing persona 5. D spoilers. :(
userbinator 3y ago
There are semi-frequent "Japan weird" (and contrasting) articles that show up here, but my impression is that their culture is indeed uniquely different and lends itself to these sorts of phenomenon. The tendency of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_anthropomorphism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_anthropomorphism to appear may also be related. I am also tempted to mix in another cultural reference: Prejed! How do you feel about Medjed?
fiforpg 3y ago
> revolveth in heaven inside a flame produced by his own mouth, whilst his own form is invisible Such a beautiful hermetic formula. It could totally describe a god in Lovecraftian universe. That, and also the fact that a minor deity was so easily transplanted from an Egyptian myth into a Japanese video game to me illustrates the amazing unity of human culture. I mean, I get that a lot of biblical material was lifted from e.g. the myth of Osiris, but this is on another level.
butz 3y ago
It's worth mentioning that Mejed is a boss in Japanese action platformer game "Pharaoh Rebirth+".

43 points by Kapura 3y ago

This explanation does a great job of blending pop culture analysis with ancient history. I particularly like the use of primary sources. The author seems to be a biologist and paleontologist[1]; anyone know if he's written anything else on history? [1] https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/ https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/

gwern 3y ago
If you follow the tabs, he has a whole slew of popularizing articles: https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/publications/science-outreach/ https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/publications/science-... https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/publications/others/ https://rodrigobsalvador.wordpress.com/publications/others/ I liked https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/12/28/the-astolfo-effect-the-popularity-of-fate-grand-order-characters-in-comparison-to-their-real-counterparts/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/12/28/the-astolfo-effect-the-p... https://jgeekstudies.org/2023/04/06/a-practical-implication-of-the-astolfo-effect-bias-in-ai-generated-images/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2023/04/06/a-practical-implication-... https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/02/11/mary-anning-fossil-collector-paleontologist-and-heroic-spirit/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/02/11/mary-anning-fossil-colle... https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/02/06/the-giant-snails-of-ark-survival-evolved/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2021/02/06/the-giant-snails-of-ark-... https://jgeekstudies.org/2018/10/17/douglas-adams-and-the-worlds-largest-fattest-and-least-able-to-fly-parrot/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2018/10/17/douglas-adams-and-the-wo... https://jgeekstudies.org/2018/05/19/dogu-from-prehistoric-figurines-to-collectible-pocket-monsters/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2018/05/19/dogu-from-prehistoric-fi... https://rodrigobsalvador.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/soares-et-al_2019_metalbirds.pdf https://rodrigobsalvador.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/soares-... https://jgeekstudies.org/2019/05/19/pokemollusca-the-mollusk-inspired-pokemon/ https://jgeekstudies.org/2019/05/19/pokemollusca-the-mollusk... https://www.scielo.br/j/hcsm/a/3f7pGvQSBQNC4kkC8MXsbQQ/?format=pdf&lang=en https://www.scielo.br/j/hcsm/a/3f7pGvQSBQNC4kkC8MXsbQQ/?form...

Cpoll 3y ago

Another oddity is that Medjed isn't depicted in profile like other subjects in Ancient Egyptian art.

bashauma 3y ago

As always, Nico Nico Encyclopedia[0] and Pixiv Encyclopedia[1] are good entry points for Japanese pop/otaku culture (though they tend not to have as many excellent sources as this article does). This entry in the Pixiv Encyclopedia is valuable because it mentions the two most popular Japanese IPs using god Medjed in them and not covered in the article, Fate/Grand Order and One Piece. [0]: https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%89 https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83... [1]: https://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%89 https://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E3%83%A1%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%89

rootsudo 3y ago

I’m playing persona 5. D spoilers. :(

userbinator 3y ago

There are semi-frequent "Japan weird" (and contrasting) articles that show up here, but my impression is that their culture is indeed uniquely different and lends itself to these sorts of phenomenon. The tendency of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_anthropomorphism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_anthropomorphism to appear may also be related. I am also tempted to mix in another cultural reference: Prejed! How do you feel about Medjed?

fiforpg 3y ago

> revolveth in heaven inside a flame produced by his own mouth, whilst his own form is invisible Such a beautiful hermetic formula. It could totally describe a god in Lovecraftian universe. That, and also the fact that a minor deity was so easily transplanted from an Egyptian myth into a Japanese video game to me illustrates the amazing unity of human culture. I mean, I get that a lot of biblical material was lifted from e.g. the myth of Osiris, but this is on another level.

butz 3y ago

It's worth mentioning that Mejed is a boss in Japanese action platformer game "Pharaoh Rebirth+".