Growing Season
Growing Season
It remains to be seen if there will be any alterations, but the preview clips from season six have given us a title card perhaps loaded with more depth and imagery than ever before, if not outright Supernatural allegory and thematic recapitulation.
Green, the first thing we see, and what sense does this hue project? Nature, things vegetal which, according to the OED, are characterized by, exhibiting or producing, the phenomena of physical life and growth; from this we can infer a simultaneous rebirth, the renewing power of nature that lies, most obviously, in the cycle of seasons. To wit, 1)Dean’s growth into a family man, a caring significant other and a surrogate father – an apple pie life at last – and 2)the rebirth of both Sam, out of an inhuman hell and back into a human world, and the brother’s partnership in fighting those inhuman things, and each other from time to time; not called growing pains for nothing, that have managed to leave their mark on this world.
Though vestigial, from the Latin vestigium, does not in fact share an etymologic root with vegetal, nor can it even be classified as a false cognate, our brains might perhaps link the two words merely on their first-syllable similarity. Thus, footstep, footprint, trace, mark in the Latin; of the nature of a vestige; remaining or surviving in a degenerate, atrophied, or imperfect condition or form in the English. The world is indeed imperfect, but beautiful, and the next striking image to sear itself in our brain is that of a tree, many trees, to be exact.
In Dark Side of the Moon, Castiel spoke of the axis mundi, and in myriad world mythologies, this central sacred notion is found in a tree: Yggdrasil, the world ash of the Norse; Irminsul of the Saxons and the sacred groves found in Germanic and other peoples; the totem poles of the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest; the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis. Even the Christmas tree, whether religious or secular, often holds pride of place in our jaded, postmodern age. For Supernatural, this represents a grounding, home, whether a literal one of the traditional nuclear family, or an unorthodox one between Sam, Dean, Bobby and, in the new season, the (re)introduction of the Campbells into the lives of the John and Mary’s sons. Axis mundi, if viewed as a road, can certainly be considered the home of heroes, for that’s where they ply their trade.
These trees, these woods, however, have their dark side, and are also the home of shadow. “Don’t go into the woods” has been a horror movie trope for decades, representing the liminal border between this world and the next, the rational and the irrational, safety and danger, humanity and the things that wish to make short work of us.
The wild is also the home of the Green Man, thus codifying nature as both giving and taking. The Welsh origin of Merlin, perhaps the exemplar of magic par excellence, has him as a wild man of the woods. The partner of Gilgamesh, Enkidu, was a creature of the wild. But the wild is dangerous, an underworld that the hero must journey through upon his or her quest. The celestial and abyssal of the last couple of seasons has been replaced by a return to the past, one’s monster-of-the-week roots, a return to the old neighborhood, if you will. The cycle of seasons begins anew. Danger may come from without, but the strength to fight must come from within, within ourselves, our home, our family.
Totally, completely and utterly unashamed to respond to this article with a resounding “hunh?” 😐
On the other hand, you’re awesome that you wrote this, with or without reference books. Though, in truth, I might be a little afraid of you if you did this off the top of your skull.
I like how you tied in so many different mythologies. There does seem to often be common threads throughout human history. Not sure if I agree, or more likely follow, your logic on making the axis mundi the home of heroes. Or maybe something in me just rises up against it, since I want my heroes happy in their afterlife. Keeping them in the same state of sacrifice does not seem to be a nice idea. The AM as their ‘home’ as you will, also doesn’t seem to follow since heroes aren’t heroes within their own home. It’s where they are able to simply be without plying their trade. While I understand that a hero is a hero wherever he goes, I think they are less, or better worded, more than heroes when they are home.
Sorry, didn’t mean to leave such a long or involved reply. But I got to thinking and that’s never a good idea. Great article, another relief for the almost over hellaitus.
PS: Rockin that you got this much off of a title card! 😀 😎
Great article, Randal. Forests have always held a special place in our psyche. A place that makes you feel save and afraid simultaneously. Anyone who has been in misty woods at night under a full moon knows what I mean. It’s peaceful and scary at the same time. I can see rebirth there, for the Winchesters, and peace, but also a lot of monsters. That’s what we are all waiting for. As you said, the woods are home to many of our most deep rooted legends including vamps, werewolves, fairies, and even leprechauns. And of course, the birth place of heroes. I think the card holds a lot of promise for the boys too, as the bright light makes me think of knowledge, understanding, a guiding hand. Maybe the Campbells??? I don’t know….just rambling here.
Really like this title card. Hope it measures up to its expectations!
Interesting article Randal. Always enjoy deciphering your thinky thoughts. 😉
Looks indeed, by the title card this year, that the boys will be “deep into the woods” this season. So many plots can be opened up under that category. Ben Edlund especially should let his imagination fly ! 😮
Because of the machinations of last years carrier of the show, SunTV, I will be seeing the premiere on CHCH this year, one day early!!! Only 3 more days for me. 🙂
Or maybe they just liked the colour … Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar! 😉
P.S. Who did that ” The woods are lovely, dark and deep … ” poem? That sort of jumped into my head while I was reading …
Yvonne, I cut and pasted the definitions from the OED, but the rest is from my noodle. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a geek. 😀
Here, I’m thinking axis mundi in more a traditional role (and a bit of my linking it to the road/journey taken by heroes, not that crazy a notion) as opposed to SPN’s alteration that seems more universal. Very rarely does a mention of any kind of world tree *not* involve the heroes of a culture, whether human or supernatural.
And no, long replies are good!
sablegreen, hey, thanks to you for covering the first five, that’s what gave me the idea for this! And exactly, there’s something visceral about the woods, a place that’s a microcosm of the human condition itself.
bevie, maybe that’s where the leprechauns hide their pots of gold. Everyone would be looking at the end of rainbows, but they’re actually stuffed under a bunch of rotting vegetation. Ingenious! 🙂
leslie, thanks!
suze, Ceci n’est pas une pipe. 😉
And that’s from the famous Robert Frost “miles to go before I sleep” poem, which is pretty damn appropriate.
Hi Randal
I always enjoy reading your articles. Forever keeping my brain cells from turning to dust. I love this title card…it took me a bit to realize it was the view from a forest with trees in the foreground. It’s very earthy and like a new beginning.
However on the subject of Green lets not forget another famous take on this particular colour.
It’s not that easy being green;
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold…
or something much more colorful like that.
It’s not easy being green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ord’nary things.
And people tend to pass you over ’cause you’re
not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
or stars in the sky.
But green’s the color of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain,
or tall like a tree.
When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why?
Wonder, I am green and it’ll do fine, it’s beautiful!
And I think it’s what I want to be.
(Kermit the Frog – It’s not Easy Being Green)