This is an OLD Blog post from dahniwitchoflight from tumblr dated to after the Volume 3 finale Yet Not only did it manage to predict Jaune semblance being able to heal, and “roughly” the Gods of Darkness and Light themselves. But in light of the V6 opening (I won’t spoil) I feel it takes on new meaning.

Anyways on to said post

The Moon, The Sun, and RWBY

saw the RWBY finale, have a lot of thoughts, spoilers ahoy (also the screenshot pic isnt too relevant to the theory, it sorta is but isnt, just thought it looked nicely symbolic of my theory lol)

i should be sleeping right now but my brain literally wont shut up until i get all this out lol so might as well

This is basically my theory/explanation for “What is Ruby’s Silver Eyes power thing if it’s not the Maiden power?”

the answer (and the tangents related to it) may surprise you!

as a person who knows their roman/greek mythology and all the signs pointing to doom, i was basically sad the whole time and then in my seat anxiously waiting for death as soon as the arrows got pulled on achilles, i mean pyrhha

so yeah ):

but what i wanna talk about more now is Ruby herself and the silver eyed legendary warrior power thing

so there is a LOT of, and an increasing amount of, recurring Moon symbolism in this show. The cracked crescent moon from the beginning, the idea of powerful maidens (moon being the de facto symbol of the feminine) and now the connection between the associated color and metal of the moon, silver, attached to another important young girl (Ruby). Ruby having Crescent Rose, her scythe

there is also a lot of references to the Sun/Gold (suns associated color and metal), Taiyang and Yang Xiao Long meaning dragon of the sun and little dragon of the sun respectively, her having specifically gold hair, her ref to goldilocks and 3 bears, the character named SUN Wukong (who looks a LOT like taiyang, jesus christ how many women did you bang dude)

(I mean cmon, theres no way SUN Wukong isnt related to “Sun Dragon” and “Little Sun Dragon” especially after now we know what he looks like, not to mention their personalities are eerily similar, not to mention they all have a shared theme of chinese names. Taiyang definitely knocked up a lady faunus at one point. sun wukong in myth is also associated with gold)

but speaking of Sun, he is associated with the guy named Neptune, which brings into play the greek gods themselves, specifically the ones associated with the Sun and the Moon, Apollo and Artemis.

but as the symbolism comes together, especially with the mythos regarding the Maidens, I may have an idea of what Ruby’s silver eyed power might mean.

so we know the Maiden (aka, the Seasons) got their power from the Wizard (Aka Father Time if the connections to Ozpin aren’t any clearer by this point) [Side note: this theory, again, was originally made at the end of Volume 3. And while many people suspected Ozpin was the Wizard this was BEFORE we got the bit about his Cane storing Time.]

which makes sense, as Time carries on, The Seasons change on Earth

but what gives Time its power? How do we know Time even passes along from day to night to day in the first place?

By the movements of the Sun and the Moon, the original calendar marks, the sun for the short term, days and nights, the moon phases for the long term, the months and years.

The Sun and the Moon are what give Time it’s power and reality, and indeed let it exist as a mythological concept in the first place.

So my thought it, Ruby’s power may be of an even more ancient lineage than Time and the Seasonal Maidens, we have some proof of this too, as when Qrow speaks to Ruby about it, referring to what Oz told him, we find its.. surprisingly not much. All we know is “Silver eyed warriors of legend who could somehow stop grim in their tracks with a glance”

versus entire monologues and world of remnants detailing down to the exact words the exact legend of the maidens.

suggesting the Silver Eyes legend is something much older, much more ancient, older than Oz, older than Time itself.

which fits into the mythical pecking order origin story of Sun/Moon > Time > Seasons

Ruby may in fact like her mother before her, not inherited the Summer Maiden’s powers (as her mothers name would suggest) but the Moon Goddess’s powers. through a more direct lineage as well, as the eyes are the indicator, even before the power is awakened. Unlike the maidens who are passed on to the next in their death in an endless cycle.

and when you look at the symbolism of Artemis and Apollo, something become a lot clearer

for instance here’s all the stuff about Artemis: Goddess of the Silver Moon, the Hunt, Wild Animals, Wilderness, Childbirth, Virginity, Purity, Chasteness and Patron of Young Women. She brought and relieved disease in young women. She was the chaste huntress with the golden Bow and Arrow, the weapon, her bow often being a symbol of the crescent moon itself. The deer was sacred to her and she owned many black and white hunting dogs. She was in fact, the original Huntress, mistress of animals. Ancient Greek writers, by way of folk etymology, and some modern scholars, have linked Artemis (Doric Artamis) to ἄρταμος, artamos, i.e. "butcher" or, like Plato did in Cratylus, to ἀρτεμής, artemḗs, i.e. "safe", "unharmed", "uninjured", "pure", "the stainless maiden"

Some cults even associate her with bears in a stranger myth, Pre-pubescent and adolescent Athenian girls were sent to the sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron to serve the Goddess for one year. During this time, the girls were known as arktoi, or little she-bears (from Arctus, Bear. This is important for later, maybe.). A myth explaining this servitude states that a bear had formed the habit of regularly visiting the town of Brauron, and the people there fed it, so that, over time, the bear became tame. A girl teased the bear, and, in some versions of the myth, it killed her, while, in other versions, it clawed out her eyes. Either way, the girl's brothers killed the bear, and Artemis was enraged. She demanded that young girls "act the bear" at her sanctuary in atonement for the bear's death. she likes bears okay, theyre important to her

A Young Huntress Girl, Associated with Wilderness and Wild Animals, With Silver, with a weapon in the shape of or resembling a crescent moon, protector of young maidens, she owned lots of black and white Hunter Dogs, the pure stainless maiden.

now, I’m not saying direct reference, but....

heck, artemis is even described as wearing a kneelength tunic into war, aka

Battle Skirt

sorry gifs are fun

sooo yeah. That is potentially the reason for the powers behind her silver eyes, explained by the references to Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, how much Ozpin knows, or in fact doesnt know about the legends behind it, despite his long term knowledge of other old hidden myths, and the fact that in lots of older real world myths, the Sun and The Moon are heavily associated with and credited with the creation of Time itself.

Speaking of, don’t think I’ve ignored the other half of this equation lol I’m about to go into that now.

So, here’s all the stuff about Apollo: God of the Golden Sun, Music, Truth, Prophecy, Light, Medicine, Balance, Order, The Arts and his instrument was the Lyre/Kithara (Guitar) with his main weapon being the sword (but like his sister he was also associated with bows and arrows, his were silver though, because golden and silver godly arrows were what they used to think the sun and moons rays were made of) but the suns rays were more solid, hence the associated with a more solid pointy thing, the sword, as well here. He is associated with the flock and with shepherds, tamed animals to his Twin Sister’s wildnerness (yeah theyre twins btw) He represented Harmony, Order and Reason and is associated with the Golden Mean, the greek ideal of Moderation and the virtue that opposed Gluttony. He is not, in fact, a fighter, but a shining beacon of a leader. Protector of moderation and order. Deterrent of all danger and healer of evil. The laurel was sacred to him because he was a god of victory and achievement. His epithets are “simple” “redeemer” “purifier”. Etymology suggested for Apaliunas makes Apollo "The One of Entrapment", perhaps in the sense of "Hunter". he was the Prophetic Converser, Public speaker and patron of young beardless youths aka pretty teenage boys.

now, I’m not saying direct reference, but....

now, I’m not saying direct reference, but....

OHHHH DIDNT SEE THAT ONE COMING EH?

yes. Jaune Arc as the representation of Apollo, God of the Golden Sun.

now i know what your thinking, Jaune already has a reference, Joan of Arc, its in the name, duh

but do you know what that saint is famous for and the ideals she stood for?

she is popularized in stories as the fierce woman warrior driven by her faith in god, driven by the “Prophetic visions” she was given of god and the angels, she was famous for knowing truths ahead of time, like when to strike in battle, where to seige and lead her troops

but she was not a warrior. Famously, she only ever carried her banner into battle at the front of the troops, she rallied but never attacked. She was lauded as a woman of Simple Faith, part of her charm and appeal being the ideal that not only fancy nobles and famous people and person with wealth and status could get important visions from god, instead she was a simple illiterate peasant woman possessed of the virtues of humility, honesty and simplicity that proved even the lowest of persons could share in divinity, she stumped courts trying to disprove her faith with trick questions, famously answering the question "Asked if she knew she was in God's grace, she answered: 'If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me.'" The question is a scholarly trap. Church doctrine held that no one could be certain of being in God's grace. If she had answered yes, then she would have been charged with heresy. If she had answered no, then she would have confessed her own guilt. Notary Boisguillaume later testified that at the moment the court heard this reply, "Those who were interrogating her were stupefied."

a number of things she retroactively became the patron saint of after her execution, trial and burning as a witch, and later retrial after her death to posthumously remove all charges, includes things like martyrs; captives; military personnel; people ridiculed for their piety; prisoners; and soldiers.

but despite much preferring her banner to her sword, her military advice was prophetic and helped her win victory in many battles

She was simple, humble, not a warrior, prophetic, but did own a sword as a symbol, an inspiring leader in battle, an illiterate farmgirl who used to tend tame animals, spoke unknowable truths, deterred evil in her divinity

a nd Apollo once again, is the god whos epithets included “simple” “redeener” purifier”, the god of truth and prophecy, a god of balance, order, leadership, public speaking, who symbol was a sword, farm animals, shepherds and tamed beasts. protector from and deterrent of evil.

and then we have Jaune Arc. our humble yet reliable Leader, whos skills in battle may be lacking, who is our “Simple Soul”, who wields a sword and whos semblance weve seen so far is the power to Deter and Protect from danger. Who came from a simple land and family, but has shown an unerring skill to say the Right thing, to speak the truth (even if at the wrong time at times). To be inspiring, a Hunter, and is a pretty young boy with golden hair, can’t forget that one lol

Now all he needs is to speak some prophetic wisdom or heal somebody, [again this posted at the end of Volume 3,two volumes before the reveal] but if the White color of his semblance is any indicator, its definitely going to be something of a Divine nature, do more than simply block danger, especially since his sturggles with activating seem to be connecting it to battle, which he isnt the best at

he may simply have a non battle semblance, like healing [again, TWO VOLUMES EARLY, (and yes I know healing is a side effect of the amplification, but still)] or prophetic visions

or he may inherit the yet to be revealed Male/Gold/Sun version/counterpart of whatever Ruby has, he is the male main character afterall, and the new leader of our Journey Team. Sun and Moon were often counterparts representing different things in color, and so far the main distinct colored things in RWBY are Hair and Eyes, so Silver Eyes and Golden Hair may be the Moon and Sun thing?

(finally the last thing, Jaune Arc, Arctus = Bear, Artemis being severely protective of bears, but also Artemis and Apollo being severely protective of eachother in almost all myths, killing others on eachothers behalf, in fact, surprisingly protective of almost nothing else except their own or their siblings symbols, so yeah idk Artemis being protective of her brothers things and strangely Bears aka Arc may translate Jaune Arc being protected as a reference of Apollo, but thats an intense stretch lol)

also (and this is more of a point for Ruby than Jaune but we’ll see)

is that Apollo and Artemis were twins born of Leto, and Leto is famous for being turned into a Swan at one point, and idk Ruby is tangentially connected to an Uncle Qrow and Aunt Raven, Joan of Arc had the doves of purity and we don’t know who Jaune’s parent are yet, maybe they have bird themes who knows

but finally I leave you with this parting fun fact about the origins and story of the god Apollo, which may give some insights into Jaune’s character arc and/or the inspirations for another character as well.

Apollo’s arrival must have occurred during the "dark ages" that followed the destruction of the Mycenaean civilization, and his conflict with Gaia (Mother Earth) was represented by the legend of his slaying her daughter the serpent (but mostly represented as Wyrm or Dragon) Python. The earth deity (Gaia) had power over the ghostly world, and it is believed that she was the deity behind the oracle.

Aka Jaune (as Apollo) slays the Dragon (python) (bonus Knight Slaying the Dragon Symbolism), who is the daughter of Salem (Mother Earth/Gaia) who has powers of the Grimm Realm (Ghostly World) and as she is also the Narrator behind the Info Dumps of World of Remnant, that makes her a nice candidate as Deity behind the Oracle as well. Maybe the Dragon can mean the literal Grimm Dragon or Cinder, maybe he avenges Pyrrha!

The Cinder=Dragon connection is mostly a ref to the Spyro games where the black Dragon Cynder is a main antagonist

but then we have to bring the Joan of Arc symbolism into it and remember that at the end, Joan was burned at the stake as a witch

(in Salem. Not really, but Jaune will be)

and if Salem is the Deity behind the Oracle, maybe Jaune’s prophetic visions will really lead him to doom while appearing to help him at first, just like with Joan’s.

Glynda isn’t the only “Witch” we should be looking out for methinks

(and if after all this if your still wondering why Jaune for the Sun and not someone who also has a lot of Sun/Gold symbolism like Yang, heck, her name is even the correct term from the Yin/Yang, Yin is the Moon, Yang is the Sun, Yang even is the closest thing to Ruby’s Twin, which is what the Sun and Moon are

it’s mostly because The Sun and the Moon are core concepts that are twins, complementary yet opposite in nature, but overall they represent core Masculine and the Feminine concepts, unlike Venus and Mars who also represent Female and Male respectively, but in a specific “Lovers and Partners” context, versus the Sun and Moon being two halves of an original, Twins, unlike the the Lovers Mars/Venus who are seperate originally but come together

So if the Sun were to be represented by someone, specifically as Apollo to Ruby’s Artemis, that person would be Male and someone close and protective of Ruby/Artemis

but I’ll grant you if it turns out the Sun’s representative in this show isn’t Male, then it's Yang hands down. Really Jaune and Yang I think have equal claims to the symbolism in different terms, but I believe because the nature of the moon and sun is gendered and about balance, then whoever gets the sun powers should be Male, otherwise its not very balanced powers to gender wise

The male Wizard is equal to the female only Maidens because its stated that his power split in 4 is what gives them their seasonal powers, so thats fair, even though he’s technically outnumbered, but to give the other two major things both female I think would be too unbalanced, therefore I’m defaulting it to mean Jaune eventually until we see otherwise)

#curatorreview