Hey everyone! I had some questions about the berserk universe that has been puzzling me for ages, and would appreciate any answer you give me to at least gain a better insight. I took a look at the berserk universe diagram in the encyclopedia that's on skullknight.net, but I am still confused about some things.
1). What exactly is the astral world? Is it metaphysical in nature, or does it actually have substance? Does it have some kind of relationship or interaction with the mortal/corporeal world, or is it that it exists as an entirely separate world that borders the physical one.
2). If the mortal or corporeal world is inhabited by physical forms, then what about the creatures that reside in the astral world, don't they have physical forms too? The astral creatures encountered by Guts and company all seem to have physical bodies since they bleed and get torn up just like any normal body would, but I get the hint that the author of Berserk has made a distinction between these creatures and normal physical bodies that inhabit the mortal world. Is it just because they entered the mortal world that they have the appearance of a physical form? Can someone please explain to me the distinction the author has conceptualized here if there even is one? Also, when I am talking about astral creatures, i'm not referring to the dead souls that haunt Guts because of his brand, but those creatures like the elves and the trolls.
3). On the aforementioned diagram, a sub-description is placed on each layer, and they are, from top to bottom: Form, Concept, Object, and Image. Can someone explain in detail what this all means in relation to the structure of the berserk universe?
4). Why is the astral world also called "The Land of the Dead" when in the berserk universe diagram, the ideal world seems to be the place where dead souls go? Do all human souls permeate through each layer upon death, only to finally arrive in the ideal world/vortex or is it possible for some dead souls to live in the astral world?
5). What exactly is evil in the berserk universe anyway? It seems in Berserk that evil is not just a concept, but also an actual "substance", as the latter context is shown to be detected by Guts' brand, and harnessed by the apostles and god-hand. Is it just some "energy/mana" given off from "evil" dead souls or is it related to something more specific?
6). Just what the heck is the ideal world anyway and what role does it play in relation to the astral world? In what way does the ideal world influence the astral world to begin with? What really confuses me is that the ideal world seems to be the most important world as it is said in the diagram to have the power to influence all worlds, but on the other hand, the astral world seems it would have precedence over the ideal one, being that the latter is created by the collective human mind, and the former possibly exists separately from subconscious creation. Can someone please explain the nature of the ideal world and its relationship with the rest of the berserk universe?
I look forward to all of your responses and hopefully ill gain a better understanding of my favorite manga!
1). What exactly is the astral world? Is it metaphysical in nature, or does it actually have substance? Does it have some kind of relationship or interaction with the mortal/corporeal world, or is it that it exists as an entirely separate world that borders the physical one.
2). If the mortal or corporeal world is inhabited by physical forms, then what about the creatures that reside in the astral world, don't they have physical forms too? The astral creatures encountered by Guts and company all seem to have physical bodies since they bleed and get torn up just like any normal body would, but I get the hint that the author of Berserk has made a distinction between these creatures and normal physical bodies that inhabit the mortal world. Is it just because they entered the mortal world that they have the appearance of a physical form? Can someone please explain to me the distinction the author has conceptualized here if there even is one? Also, when I am talking about astral creatures, i'm not referring to the dead souls that haunt Guts because of his brand, but those creatures like the elves and the trolls.
3). On the aforementioned diagram, a sub-description is placed on each layer, and they are, from top to bottom: Form, Concept, Object, and Image. Can someone explain in detail what this all means in relation to the structure of the berserk universe?
4). Why is the astral world also called "The Land of the Dead" when in the berserk universe diagram, the ideal world seems to be the place where dead souls go? Do all human souls permeate through each layer upon death, only to finally arrive in the ideal world/vortex or is it possible for some dead souls to live in the astral world?
5). What exactly is evil in the berserk universe anyway? It seems in Berserk that evil is not just a concept, but also an actual "substance", as the latter context is shown to be detected by Guts' brand, and harnessed by the apostles and god-hand. Is it just some "energy/mana" given off from "evil" dead souls or is it related to something more specific?
6). Just what the heck is the ideal world anyway and what role does it play in relation to the astral world? In what way does the ideal world influence the astral world to begin with? What really confuses me is that the ideal world seems to be the most important world as it is said in the diagram to have the power to influence all worlds, but on the other hand, the astral world seems it would have precedence over the ideal one, being that the latter is created by the collective human mind, and the former possibly exists separately from subconscious creation. Can someone please explain the nature of the ideal world and its relationship with the rest of the berserk universe?
I look forward to all of your responses and hopefully ill gain a better understanding of my favorite manga!