Endymion
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Prince Endymion
Mythology
Endymion was a beautiful shepherd boy of Asia Minor, the mortal lover of the moon goddess Selene. Each night he was kissed to sleep by her. She begged Zeus to grant him eternal life so she might be able to embrace him forever. Zeus complied, putting Endymion into eternal sleep and each night Selene visits him on Mt. Latmus, near Milete, in Asia Minor. The ancient Greeks believed that his grave was situated on this mountain. Selene and Endymion have fifty daughters.
Character Relations
Endymion was the name given to the Prince of Earth in the Sailormoon series. Even though he was no longer a shepard, he still remained in love with Selene, or Serenity as the Sailormoon anime and manga calls her.
Selene
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Princess Serenity
Mythology
Selene was the goddess of the moon and is most famous for her love of the shepard Endymion. She is said to resemble a woman with a very white face and rides on a silver chariot drawn by two horses. Selene is said to wear robes, carry a torch, and wear a half moon on her head. She was not one of the twelve great gods on Olympus, however she is the moon goddess. After her brother Helios completes his journey across the sky, she begins hers. Before Selene's journey across the night sky she bathes in the sea. She fell in love with the shepard, Endymion, and seduced him while he lie sleeping in a cave. Some sources say Endymion was a king or a hunter, rather than a shepard. Her seduction of Endymion resulted in the birth of fifty daughters, one of which was Naxos. Since Selene was so deeply in love with Endymion she asked Zeus to allow him to decide his own fate. Zeus granted Selene's request, and Endymion chose never to grow old and to sleep eternally. However, Endymion's eternal sleep did not prevent him from Selene giving birth to his daughters. Endymion was visited by Selene every night and kissed by her rays of light. Selene is a favorite of many poets, especially love poets. A moonlit night brings the feeling of romance. It is said that Selene's moon rays fall upon sleeping mortals, and her kisses fell upon her love, Endymion.
Character Relations
The princess of the Moon, Serenity was in love with the man named Endymion in the Sailormoon anime and manga. Her reincarnation, Tsukino Usagi is a pun on being the moon princess. Tsuki no Usagi litterally translates to 'Rabbit on the Moon'. The Japanese believe there is a Rabbit on the Moon as opposed to Western culture which believe there is a Man in the Moon. Princess Serenity quite possibly was named for the Sea of Serenity, Mare Serenatis, as it was noted that the Moon Castle was located there.
Extra Stuff: Monday, or its French counterpart Lundi, is obviously named after the Moon Goddess Selene. It's more apparent under its English name but Lune means 'Moon' in French so they both have obvious names.
Jupiter
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Sailor Jupiter
Mythology
Jupiter is the supreme god of the Roman pantheon. He is a god of light and sky, and protector of the state and its laws. He was responisble for weather of all kinds, especially lightening and rain. He is a son of Saturn and brother of Neptune and Juno (who is also his wife). His name has the same origin as that of Zeus, the greek god. Ju- is related to Dyeu-, 'sky, and -piter or pater, 'father'.
Character Relations
Like her mythological counterpart, Sailor Jupiter controls the powers of lightening and the weather, which is seen in many of her attacks (hurricane blossom, supreme thunder). The element of the planet Jupiter is wood, or ki which is represented in both her attacks (jupiter oak evolution) and her name, Kino Makoto.Extra Stuff: Thursday, or Jeudi, is named after Jupiter.
Mars
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Sailor Mars
Mythology
He is the son of Jupiter and Juno. Mars is the god of war, and one of the most prominent and worshipped gods. He is commonly identified with the Greek Ares. He was originally associated with agriculture, spring, growth in nature, and fertility, and the protector of cattle. His function appears to have developed as the Romans evolved from an agricultural to a warlike nation. His name was given to the month of March and to Campus Martius, a field here the Toman males practiced warlike skills. He was married to a minor goddess named Nerio (her name meaning "strength"). According to some sources, Mars is the father of Romulus and Remus by the Rhea Silvia, a Vestal Virgin. Because he was the father of these legendary founders of Rome, and thus of the Roman people, the Romans styled themselves 'sons of Mars'.
Character Relations
Sailor Mars shows her war-like nature with her spunky additude. Sparks fly as she fights villains and her hot-headedness can lead to a fight with anyone from Usagi to a Dark Kingdom youma. The element of the planet Mars is fire, or hi which is represented in both her attacks (fire soul, mars flame sniper) and her name, Hino Rei.
Extra Stuff: Tuesday, or Mardi, is named after Mars. It's more apparent in its French counterpart.
Mercury
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Sailor Mercury
Mythology
Mercury is god of trade and profit, merchants and travelers, but originally of the trade in corn. In later times he was equated with the Greek Hermes. He had a temple in Rome near the Circus Maximus on the Aventine Hill which dates back to 495 BC. This temple was connected to some kind of trade fair. His main festival, the Mercuralia, was celebrated on May 15 and on this day the merchants sprinkled their heads and their merchandise with water from his well near the Porta Capena.
Character Relations
In mentioning the mythological Mercury's celebration and the use of water, that could be a small factor in what leads Sailor Mercury's powers to revolve around water and ice attacks. The element of the planet Mercury is water, or mizu which is represented in both her attacks (jupiter oak evolution) and her name, Mizuno Ami.
Extra Stuff: Wednesday, or Mercredi, is surprise! Named after Mercury. Once again, it's more apparent in French.
Neptune
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Sailor Neptune
Mythology
The god of the sea among the Romans. He was not a very powerful god, and little is known of his origin. When he was first introduced in Rome, he already had all the characteristics of the Greek Poseidon. Despite the fact that his cult grew after his equation with Poseidon, Neptune was far less popular among sailors than Poseidon was among the Greek mariners.
Character Relations
Like her counterpart, she possesses the powers of the deep sea. Adorned in blue and green, this soldier matches quite well with the oceans. The planet Neptune, coupled with Uranus, has come to stand for homosexuality, which could be an explaination of the coupling of these two characters in the show. Well, there's that and the fact those two were made for each other. =)
Pluto
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Sailor Pluto
Mythology
Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld and the judge of the dead. Pluto was the son of Saturn. Pluto's wife was Proserpina (Greek name, Persephone) whom he had kidnapped and dragged into the underworld. His brothers were Jupiter and Neptune. People referred to Pluto as the rich one because he owned all the wealth in the ground. People were afraid to say his real name because they were afraid it might attract his attention. Black sheep were offered to him as sacrifices. Pluto was known as a pitiless god because if a mortal entered his Underworld they could never hope to return. Pluto's Greek name is Hades.
Character Relations
Being a god of the underworld and of the dead, it can seen where time would be a factor. Death is a product of time and as Sailor Pluto watches time from her Time Gates she sees people come and go through the world.
Saturn
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Sailor Saturn
Mythology
The Roman god of agriculture concerned with the sowing of the seeds. He is regarded as the father of Jupiter, Ceres, Juno and many others. His wife is the goddess Ops. Jupiter supposedly chased him away and he was taken in by the god Janus in Latium where he introduced agriculture and viniculture. This event heralded a period of peace, happiness and prosperity, the Golden Age.
Character Relations
Sailor Saturn is the soldier of ruin and birth. Her counterpart may not seem to fit with her character but look closer. Saturn is the one who controls agriculture, and what grows or dies it connects with Sailor Saturn's powers of life, and death. The element of the planet Saturn is earth, or dosei which is represented bother her name, Tomoe Hotaru, and her mythological counterpart, Saturn.
Extra Stuff: Saturday, or Samedi, is named after Saturn. More apparent in English!
Uranus
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Sailor Uranus
Mythology
Uranus, also known as Ouranos, was the embodiment of the sky or heavens, and known as the god of the sky. He was the first son of Gaia (the earth) and he also became her husband. According to Hesiod, their children included the Titans: six sons (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus and Cronus) and six daughters (Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe and Tethys). There were other offspring: the Cyclopes, (who were named Brontes, Steropes and Arges and were later known as "one eyed giants"), and also the three monsters known as the Hecatonchires, who each had one hundred hands and fifty heads. Their names were Briareus, Cottus and Gyes. Other offspring of Uranus and Gaia were the Erinyes, who were spirits of punishment and goddesses of vengeance. The Erinyes avenged wrongs which were done to family, especially murder within a family. After Uranus had been castrated, his blood fell to earth (Gaia) and conceived the Giants. These were of monstrous appearance and had great strength . Similiarly, in some versions Aphrodite is believed to have risen from the foam created by the sex organs of Uranus after they were thrown into the sea by his son Cronus.
Character Relations
As you can see, Sailor Uranus' mythological counterpart was the god of the sky, which is only natural that she became the soldier of the far sky. The planet Uranus, coupled with Neptune, has come to stand for homosexuality, which could be an explaination of the coupling of these two characters in the show. Well, there's that and the fact those two were made for each other. =)
VenusMyth Origin: Roman
Character: Sailor Venus
Mythology
The Roman goddess of love and beauty, but originally a vegetation goddess and patroness of gardens and vineyards. Later, under Greek influence, she was equated with Aphrodite and assumed many of her aspects. Her cult originated from Ardea and Lavinium in Latium. The oldest temple known of Venus dates back to 293 BC, and was inaugurated on August 18. Later, on this date the Vinalia Rustica was observed. A second festival, that of the Veneralia, was celebrated on April 1 in honor of Venus Verticordia, who later became the protector against vice. Her temple was built in 114 BC. After the Roman defeat near Lake Trasum in 215 BC, a temple was built on the Capitol for Venus Erycina. This temple was officially opened on April 23, and a festival, the Vinalia Priora, was instituted to celebrate the occasion. Venus is the daughter of Jupiter, and some of her lovers include Mars and Vulcan, modeled on the affairs of Aphrodite.
Character Relations
Being the goddess of love and beauty would explain Venus' "Love and Beauty Shock" attack, wouldn't it? Venus is usually pictured with cresent moons and other moon related things. It would explain where Naoko-sensei got the idea to give her "Crescent Beam" attacks and other moon related items.
Extra Stuff: Friday, or Vendredi, is named after Venus.
Ceres
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Cere Cere, Sailor Ceres
Mythology
The old-Italian goddess of agriculture, grain, and the love a mother bears for her child. The cult of Ceres was originally closely connected with that of Tellus, the goddess earth. In later mythology, Ceres is identified with the Greek Demeter. She is the daughter of Saturn and the mother of Proserpina. Ceres had a temple on the Aventine Hill, were she was worshipped together with Liber and Libera. Her festival, the Cerealia, was celebrated on April 19. Ceres is portrayed with a scepter, a basket with flowers or fruits, and a garland made of the ears of corn. Another festival was the Ambarvalia, held in May.
Character Relations
Sailor Ceres, while only appearing in the manga, appeared in the Anime as Cere Cere. Like her mythological counterpart she was a master of flowers.
Juno
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Jun Jun, Sailor Juno
Mythology
Protector and special counselor of the Roman state and queen of the gods. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister (but also the wife) of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Juventas, Mars, and Vulcan. As the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman empire she was called Regina ("queen") and, together with Jupiter and Minerva, was worshipped as a triad on the Capitol (Juno Capitolina) in Rome. She can be identified with the Greek goddess Hera and, like Hera, Juno was a majestical figure, wearing a diadem on the head. The peacock is her symbolic animal. A juno is also the protecting and guardian spirit of females.
Character Relations
Sailor Juno, while only appearing in the manga, appeared in the Anime as Jun Jun. In her mythological role she shared a relationship with Jupiter, which is most likely why she was chosen be in the green colors and be a Sailor Jupiter counterpart [i.e. ceres/venus, vesta/mars, pallas/mercury]
PallasMyth Origin: Greek
Character: Palla Palla, Sailor Pallas
Mythology
One of the Titans. Pallas is the son of Crius and Eurybia and husband of Styx. Pallas is the father of Zelus, Nike, Cratos and Bia. He is also occasionally considered the father of Eos. Pallas is also an appellation of the goddess Athena (Pallas Athena) who, according to some accounts was the daughter of Pallas. In this version Pallas attempted to rape her and she killed him. From his skin she made the Aegis.
Character Relations
Sailor Pallas, while only appearing in the manga, appeared in the Anime as Palla Palla.
Vesta
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Ves Ves, Sailor Vesta
Mythology
On of the most popular and mysterious goddesses of the Roman pantheon. Vesta is the goddess of the hearth, equated with the Greek Hestia. There is not much known of her origin, except that she was at first only worshipped in Roman homes, a personal cult. Her cult eventually evolved to a state cult. The ass/mule is Vesta's sacred animal, whose braying supposedly kept the lascivious Priapus away. Vesta is portrayed as a stern woman, wearing a long dress and with her head covered. Her right hand rests against her side and in her left hand she holds a scepter.
Character Relations
Sailor Vesta, while only appearing in the manga, appeared in the Anime as Ves Ves. The part about her head being covered is probably why she was given the golden ear/head coverings as her anime and manga self. The sterness is shown in the anime and manga, but I think her fiery adittude comes from being the counterpart of Sailor Mars.
Extra: Vesta, or Hestia in Greek, was one of the main gods whom lived on olympus and a sister of Zeus/Jupiter. Whilst everyone sat in a horseshoe shape in thrones, she sat in the middle on a stool and tended the sacred fire. Vesta = Fire, Mars = Fire. Thus the connection between Mars and Vesta.
Artemis
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Artemis
Mythology
The daughter of Leto and Zeus, and twin sister of Apollo. Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt and wild animals, and fertility (she became a goddess of fertility and childbirth mainly in cities). She was often depicted with the crescent of the moon above her forehead and was sometimes identified with Selene (goddess of the moon). Artemis was one of the Olympians and a virgin goddess. Her main vocation was to roam mountain forests and uncultivated land with her nymphs in attendance hunting for lions, panthers, hinds and stags. Contradictory to the later, she helped in protecting and seeing to their well-being, also their safety and reproduction. She was armed with a bow and arrows which were made by Hephaestus and the Cyclopes.
Character Info
Being associated with the moon would explain how this cat got named. He is the guardian of Sailor Venus who is also associated with the moon.
Chaos
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Chaos, Sailor Chaos
Mythology
Chaos is from the Greek word Khaos, meaning "gaping void". There are many explanations as to who or what Chaos is, but most theories state that it was the void from which all things developed into a distinctive entity, or in which they existed in a confused and amorphous shape before they were separated into genera. In other words, Chaos is or was "nothingness." Though some ancient writers thought it was the primary source of all things, other writers tell of Gaia (Earth) being born from Chaos without a mate, along with Eros and Tartarus. Then from Gaia came Uranus (Heaven or Sky) which gave us Heaven and Earth. Chaos has been described as the great void of emptiness within the universe from which Eros came and it was he who gave divine order and also perfected all things. In later times it was written that Chaos was a confused shapeless mass from which the universe was developed into a cosmos, or harmonious order. For instance, Hesiod's Theogony says that Erebus and Black Night (Nyx) were born of Chaos, and Ovid the Roman writer described Chaos as an unordered and formless primordial mass. The first Metomorphoses reads, "rather a crude and indigested mass, a lifeless lump, unfashioned and unframed, of jarring seeds and justly Chaos named."
Character Info
Chaos was the last villain to appear in the Sailormoon series. It was the evil that plagued the universe, spawning other evils.
Coronis
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Sailor Coronis
Mythology
The mother of Asclepius by Apollo. Even before she gave birth to Asclepius she cheated on Apollo. Raven informed Apollo of her infidelity and the god killed her (according to others it was Artemis). Before her body was consumed on a funeral pyre, Apollo saved the life of his son. Since then, raven have black feathers where before they were white. Coronis is also the name of the daughter of Coronaeus, King of Phocis, changed by Athena into a crow to enable her to escape from Neptune.
Character Info
Sailor Coronis, while only mentioned in the manga and shown one shot of her still exisited so it was only proper that I put her mythology here. The association with the crows would explain her being killed by Sailor Lead Crow.
Elios
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Elios
Mythology
Helios, who's the Sun God, is the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Helios' responsibility was to drive his divine chariot across the sky each day, with the sun trailing behind. The chariot was a gift from Hephaestus made of gold. The spokes on the wheels were silver, and rows of chrysolites and diamonds were along the seat, according to Bulfinch's Age of Fable. His sister Eos would announce his arrival each morning by the cock's crowing. In the evening, as the sun went down, he would return to the Islands of the Blessed, where he would let his horses graze in a pasture until the following morning. Helios was married to Rhode, and together they produced seven sons and one daughter. The most interesting story concerning Helios is about his son Phaton, whose mother was a mortal woman. He allowed Phaton to drive his chariot after promising his son that he would give him anything he desired. He tried to talk Phaton out of it, but to no avail. The young boy lost control of the chariot and burned much of the Earth as a result. Zeus struck him dead before anymore damage was done. Helios was also referred to by his father's name, Hyperion, sometimes and later as Apollo, when the old gods gave way to the new.
Elios is the way the creator/writer/artist wrote the name, never writing it as Helios. I have also found from a April 2000 guest article in the Lemures of the AQ that the H in the name is more accepted but the real translation should be Elios, without the H. I recommend you check the article out. It is very in-depth. So, needless to say Elios/Helios is the same person being referred to in the Mythology. More info on this coming soon.
Deimos
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Deimos
Mythology
The personification of dread. Deimos ("fear") is considered as a son of Ares, and brother of Phobos. He accompanied Ares on the battlefields.
Character Info
One of the two crows that protect Sailor Mars. In the manga the crow became a sprite -like woman called Deimos. Interestingly, Deimos is one of the two moons that revolve around the planet of Mars. Diana
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Diana
Mythology
The Roman goddess of nature, fertility and childbirth. She is closely identified with the Greek goddess Artemis. Diana is also a moon-goddess and was originally worshipped on the mountain Tifata near Capua and in sacred forests (such as Aricia in Latium). Her priest lived in Aricia and if a man was able to kill him with a bough broken from a tree in this forest, he would become priest himself. Also torch-bearing processions were held in her honor here. Later she was given a temple in the working-class area on the Aventine Hill where she was mainly worshipped by the lower class (plebeians) and the slaves, of whom she was the patroness. Slaves could also ask for asylum in her temple. Her festival coincided with the idus (13th) of August.
Character Info
Being so closely connected to goddesses Luna and Artemis was it any wonder that this kitten became the daughter to these character in the show?
Luna
Myth Origin: Roman
Character: Luna
Mythology
The personified goddess of the moon. Later she is identified with Diana and Hecate. Her temple, on the Aventine Hill, was erected in the 6th century BC but was destroyed by the great fire under Nero's regime. She is equivalent to the Greek Selene.
Character Info
Being the equivelent to Selene [aka Serenity] would explain why she was chosen to be the guardian of the moon princess in the Sailormoon anime and manga.
Mau
Myth Origin: Egyptian
Character: Sailor Mau
Mythology
This is a little rumor that's being repeated again and again all over the Internet. It's only partly right. I've been studying ancient Egyptian and I can say with great certainity that their word for "cat" was different from "mau." The truth is that "Mau" is the name of a breed of cat that looks like a breed that was around in ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian writing system is made up of only symbols that represent consonants and semi-vowels. There are no true vowels in that language. The word for "cat" would be something like "m`iw" where the "`i" represents a semi-vowel "y" sound. The truth is that since we don't know all the vowels that were used in the language, we don't know the true pronunciation of the word. If anything, it was probably pronounced like the name "Mew."
Character Info
Sailor Mau, while only mentioned in the manga and never show still exisited so it was only proper that I put her mythology here. Her star seed was stolen by Sailor Tin Nyanko. The name "Mau" has an association with cats. The word "Nyan" is the japanese sound effect for a cat.
Mermaid
Myth Origin: many myths
Character: Sailor Mermaid
Mythology
A marine creature with the head and upper body of a beautiful young maiden and with the lower body of a fish. She can be found in seas and lakes, or lying on a rock and combing her hair with one hand while holding a mirror in the other. Mermaids sometimes foretell the future and are often accompanied by seals. According to myth, they lure sailors by singing and with lovely music. They live in a kingdom on the bottom of the sea, and it is here they take their prisoners to. From this story, the fear amongst the sailor grew and they thought that seeing a mermaid would cause bad luck: it could predict death by drowning. The belief in mermaids is not limited to a few countries, but there are tales from all over the world (in India, for instance, there are the Apsara, beautiful water nymphs). However, most of those tales were told by sailors who "saw" them on their long journeys. The idea of mermaids and mermen, the male equivalent, could be based on creatures from Greek and Babylonian mythology: Sirens and Tritons of the Greeks, and the fish gods, who were half human and half fish, from the Babylonians. Character Info
Sailor Mermaid, while only mentioned in the manga and never show still exisited so it was only proper that I put her mythology here. Her star seed was stolen by Sailor Aluminum Siren. In the anime, when Siren wrote a note to Sailormoon she drew a mermaid version of her self as the signature. Mermaids and Siren were similar in mythology which would be the reason behind Siren being the one who took Mermaid's star seed.
Nehellenia
Myth Origin: Norse
Character: Queen Neherenia
Mythology
"Nehelennia is a Goddess who recovers the broken alliance between water and land. In the Netherlands there is a group named after this Goddess from the past. This group is called Nehalennia's Sibbe. They also have something with Loki and this is really a strange God. Loki is a God of fire and thereby of the ever changing. He likes to play tricks and lets by these, people and Gods see themselves in their less nicer states."
Source: http://www.boniface.demon.nl/rel_2.html "Some myths suggest that Hel was originally envisioned as not fiery but dark; a Crone-goddess like Black Kali, eater of the dead. As the Nether Moon, she was called Nehellenia. Her anicient altars were found in Holland at the mouth of the Rhine. Vases and statues from her shrines were discovered in Zealand in 1646. Sometimes her underworld was not hot but ice cold, as if serving as a model for Dante's innermost ciricle of the Inferno. The cold, dark Queen of Shades was Nef-Hel or Niffl. Hel was supreme and inesacapable, seizing even gods in her embrace. The Swedes said Odin the Heavenly Father was buried in a barrow known as Hel's Mount. Beause she was associated with mountains, Hel sometimes merged with Mother Freya. A fate spinning goddess called Hel of the Air was worshipped on the Lüftelberg..."
Source: http://house.simplenet.com/hel/info.htm"In Norse mythology, Hel is the ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead. She is the youngest child of the evil god Loki and the giantess Angrboda. She is usually described as a horrible hag, half alive and half dead, with a gloomy and grim expression. Her face and body are those of a living woman, but her thighs and legs are those of a corpse, mottled and moldering. The gods had abducted Hel and her brothers from Angrboda's hall. They cast her in the underworld, into which she distributes those who are send to her; the wicked and those who died of sickness or old age. Her hall in Helheim is called Eljudnir, home of the dead. Her manservant is Ganglati and her maidservant is Ganglot (which both can be translated as "tardy")."
Source: http://www.pantheon.org/mythica/articles/h/hel.htmlCharacter Info
Queen Nehellenia's myth association describes her well and it is obvious of the borrowed triats. Her association with Loki is very important. Allowing "people and Gods see themselves in their less nicer states" would easily describe the ending episodes where the sailor soldiers are confronted with themselves in the mirrors. While it's true that it was Zirconia's power that allowed this, Zirconia might thereby be associated with Loki is some small way. Also, "the cold, dark Queen of Shades" and the "Nether Moon" would explain where Naoko got the "Dark Queen of the New Moon." Also, in the final paragraph above sheds some more light on her associations with death and old age.
Phobos
Myth Origin: Greek
Character: Phobos
Mythology
Phobos ("fright") is the Greek personification of fear and terror. He is usually considered to be a son of Ares, and accompanying him in battle, instilling fear in all he saw. His brother of Deimos.
Character Info
One of the two crows that protect Sailor Mars. In the manga the crow became a sprite -like woman called Phobos. Interestingly, Phobos is one of the two moons that revolve around the planet of Mars.
