symbolism
Symbolism helps further extend the depth
of scenarios, characters and situations (plus it's
fun to talk about). Magical girl series tend to be
full symbolist jazz and Wedding Peach is
certainly no exception to this rule. The following
symbolic representations are closely associated with
Angel Salvia in both the anime and manga. I've tried
my best to give a balanced explanation of each with
a little opinion thrown in for good measure.
Salvia Coccinea
Each of the four central love angels is represented
by an image flower from which their angelic title
is taken. In Salvia's case she is named after (and
represented by) salvia coccina (also known
as salvia or scarlet sage, texas
sage). Common in the Americas, salvia coccinea
is a type of sage plant known for its vibrant red
blossoms. The salvia coccinea plant is a
hardy semi-shrub that only loses its petals during
the frosty winter. Herbs (including sage)
were the original contents of a bride's bouquet in
European wedding ceremonies as they were thought to
ward off evil spirits.
In Hanakotoba, the Japanese Language
of Flowers, red-blossomed
salvia
means "burning with expectation"
. Red-blossomed salvia is also referenced to mean
"passionate love" or "a
love which burns" in different versions
of the Hanakotoba. Salvia states in her introductory
speech that salvia means "a burning
heart" in the language of flowers. The
salvia coccinea was selected to be Angel
Salvia's image flower because according to Tomita
Sukehiro it "invokes a passionate feeling"
in those who view it. There can be little arguing
with this statement, the bright red flowers are incredibly
beautiful to behold and quite befitting of the fourth
love angel. Visually, Angel Salvia is depicted either
holding or being surrounded by salvia coccinea
flowers in many Wedding Peach illustrations.
The blossoms appear regularly during her transformation
and attack sequences through out the television series.
In her introductory episode Salvia appears in a field
of salvia coccinea blossoms by a lake, the
plants glowing when she invokes her powers.
Winter
In Wedding Peach DX the four love angels
are each visually depicted as representing a season
of the year during the OAV's opening sequence. In
this clip Salvia is illustrated as the angel representing
Winter - this is also the season attributed
to Salvia on the Wedding Peach Four Seasons Poster
which can be found in the Wedding Peach Secret
File artbook. The symbolic associations attributed
to winter are fairly obvious; the season is cold,
remote, barren. In the commonly understood cycle of
life and the seasons, winter is a period of death-
with trees losing their foliage, smaller flowering
plants dying back and animals hibernating. Winter
is an accurate season to associate with Salvia. Indeed
it is painful, cold and lonely- however, without winter
we cannot progress to the warmer months of birth and
rebirth. Winter is a necessary time of solitude and
suffering in order for progression to natural renewal.
Salvia has been anguishing alone for
many years, toiling through hardship that has left
her personality barren and drained. However, winter
is a time for introspection, of progression to change,
and this is where Scarlet is during Wedding Peach
DX. She is still cold and often unaccessible
to others but the ice around her is melting, naturally
giving way to an optimistic future- just as winter
becomes spring.
Something New
Each of the four love angels possesses an item from
the Saint Something Four; articles used during
the holy wedding ceremony between Etamine and Pitoril
(the wedding service that drove Averse to become Reine
Devila). After the ceremony the items were stored
in a shrine to help ensure the happiness of all but
due to the ongoing conflict with the devil world,
Aphrodite released the talisman to earth in the hope
that they would eventually be reunited and used to
save humanity. The Saint Something Four are
obviously derived from the traditional western wedding
custom of brides wearing "something old,
something new, something borrowed, something blue"
to their ceremony as a means to ward off bad luck
and bring good spirits to both partners in their new
life together. Even today, brides ensure they take
these four "somethings" to
their service.
Salvia possesses the final item of the
Saint Something Four to be discovered; the Saint
Something New. Like the other sacred trinkets,
Salvia's talisman is an item of jewellery - her tiara.
In the manga it is explained that she came into possession
of the tiara when she borrowed it from her mother
to use in a school play during primary school (this
contact awakening memories of her past life). In the
anime however, there is no explanation as to how she
came across the diadem. When a bride chooses something
new to wear during her ceremony, she will generally
pick an item of clothing or jewellery. The purpose
of the "new" item is to represent
the "new life" or "new
journey" in which the bride is partaking
with her husband. Salvia states in episode fifty-one
that "The Something New is testimony to
the courage that surpasses hardships and reaches new
things".
The Sword
In the original concept of the Wedding Peach
story, each of the love angels possessed Wedding
Swords but this idea was eventually rejected
by both Yazawa and Tomita for the series' final product
(although Peach does wield a sword during the first
chapter of the manga). In the end Salvia was the only
love angel to bear a sword as her favoured weapon
in both anime and manga. One of the reasons for the
use of swords being rejected for more widespread use
in the title was the decidedly masculine associations
attributed to the weapon. The sword is a phallic and
militaristic symbol, one which appeared particularly
unsuited and jarring alongside beautiful young girls
in wedding dresses.
So why does Angel Salvia bear the Saint
Pure Sword?
Swords are considered emblems of strength,
power and integrity. In medieval times swords were
seen as symbols of chastity, of Christian authority
and chivalry. There is an absolute wealth of information
regarding the sword as a symbol in both dreams and
worldly manifestations available across the globe
thanks to libraries, textbooks and the Internet. So
while I could probably discuss their Freudian associations
or dream-related interpretations, there seems little
need to do this. What I will do however, is give a
you a brief linking between the sword and Angel Salvia-
I'm sure you can handle the rest if need be.
Salvia's primary weapon in both versions
of the series is the Saint Pure Sword, a
rapier-like blade which materialises in a blaze when
summoned by the call "Saint Pure Sword!".
It is of particular interest that the Saint Pure
Sword is associated with flames and passion in
the series; a flaming sword can be considered a divine
weapon. Angels are strongly associated with flaming
swords- in the biblical account of Adam and Eve's
banishing from the Garden of Eden, Cherubim bearing
"...flaming sword(s) which turned every way"
[Genesis 3:24] were asked by God to keep the wayward
humans from returning to their former home. God's
word is said to be enforced by swords ablaze and angels,
as bearers of God's word, are often depicted holding
fiery foils in (generally European) art.
As an angel, a passionate one with a
strong sense of justice and an inherent longing for
the divine authorisation of her actions, it seems
appropriate that Salvia wields the Saint Pure
Sword. Appearing in a jolt of red flames, the
weapon bears her divine wrath as a means of demonic
purification.